January 3, 2007

• Eating with Augustine

  There can be no hope for me except in your great mercy.  Give me the grace to do as you command, and command me to do what you will!  You command us to control our bodily desires.  And, as we are told, when I knew that no man can be master of himself, except of God’s bounty, I was wise enough already to know whence the gift came. [quote from Apocrypha - Wisdom 8:21]  Truly it is by continence [moderation] that we are made as one and regain than unity of self which we lost by falling apart in the search for a variety of pleasures. (p.233)

  For the process itself [eating] is a pleasure and there is no other means of satisfying hunger except the one which we are obliged to take.  And although the purpose of eating and drinking is to preserve health, in its train there follows an ominous kind of enjoyment, which often tries to outstrip it, so that it is really for the sake of pleasure that I do what I claim to do and mean to do for the sake of my health.  Moreover, health and enjoyment have not the same requirements, for what is sufficient for health is not enough for enjoyment, and it is often hard to tell whether the body, which must be cared for, requires further nourishment, or whether we are being deceived by the allurements of greed demanding to be gratified.  My unhappy soul welcomes this uncertainty, using it to vindicate and excuse itself. (p.235)

  Every day I try my hardest to resist these temptations.  I call for your helping hand and tell you of my difficulties, because this is a problem which I have not yet resolved. … Drunkenness is far from me. By your grace may you prevent it from coming hear! But there have been times when overeating has stolen upon your servant.  By your mercy may you keep it far from me!

  Give me strength, O Lord, so that I may do all things.  Give me the grace to do as you command, and command me to do what you will!

  How do you respond to these quotes?  Do you agree that we are hopeless without God’s mercy?  Is enjoyment of food ominous?  Is it wrong to eat for any other reason than to preserve health?  Does his struggle strike a chord with you?

  I find Augustine’s grasp of the heart issues involved with overeating very helpful.  Dependence on God’s mercy, grace and strength is essential to controlling bodily desires.  The second quote reminds me of the maxim “Do you eat to live or live to eat?”  While I don’t view enjoyment of food as a menace, I know that the enjoyment factor is often the reason why overeating has stolen upon this servant. 

  I would love to come to a place where I eat in moderation six days a week (it is work in my mind – you know, being moderate) and feast on the Lord’s Day, celebrating His deliverance. 

  There is a lot to process in these words of Augustine.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.
     
  
  
  

  • 11:14 am
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