Chapter 39: The amount of food to be made available
We must always be careful, however, to avoid excessive eating which might also cause indigestion. Nothing is so opposed to Christian values as overeating, as we can see from the words of our Lord: take care that your hearts are not weighed down by overeating. (From para. 2 of Ch. 39 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry OSB, 1997.)
I'm always startled by the strength of these words: Nothing is so opposed to Christian values as overeating. I can think of a lot of worse behaviors than overeating, and yet Benedict challenges me to grasp his point. Perhaps he's telling me that any kind of addiction weighs down my consciousness and limits my freedom of spirit. Perhaps he's telling me that the physical heart and the spiritual heart are mysteriously bonded, and that I should extend the utmost care to them both.
"Take care that your hearts are not weighed down by overeating", says Jesus, cited here by Benedict. This brings to mind what Pope Francis is saying these days in his Encyclical and his talks to the poorest of the poor in Latin America. Overconsumption, greed, hoarding, and lust for money and power are all forms of the overeating so utterly "opposed to Christian values." Some Devils, including the Devils just cited, to quote Jesus once more, "can only be cast out by prayer and fasting." Abba, help me to hunger and thirst only for you and your justice.
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