ЧРЕВОУГОДИЕ

There is nothing worse, nothing more shameful than gluttony. It dulls the mind; it makes the soul carnal; it blinds and does not allow one to see. Look: this happened to the Jews too. Since, being given over to gluttony, they were entirely occupied with everyday things and did not think about anything spiritual, then although Christ excites them with many words, filled with severity and condescension, even with all this they do not get up, but still lie down. Look, He said to them: “You are looking for Me, not because you saw miracles, but because you ate bread and were filled” (John 6:26) - [and through this] He struck with reproof; He showed what kind of food one should seek, saying: Seek not for perishable food; offered them a reward in the words: “but food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27) (8). Show me at least one person who, constantly pleasing the belly, lying inactive and not working at all, would be healthy. You won't find [such a person]. At least thousands of doctors have gathered - and they are not able to relieve those who are constantly fed up from illness, because this is contrary to the nature of the matter itself. And I will offer you a medical instruction: not everything that is taken into the womb is turned into food, because in the very essence of food not everything is nutritious; there is a part of it that goes for eruption, and another for nutrition. Therefore, whoever, having taken it in moderation, allows it to be completely digested, this is done and it reaches its destination; everything healthy and useful takes its place, and what is superfluous and useless is separated and thrown out; if it is taken in excess, then what is nutritious in it becomes harmful. To explain this to you more clearly, let me give you the following example: bread contains semolina, flour and bran. If you pour into a millstone as much as it can grind, then it separates it all; and if you pour more, everything gets mixed up. Likewise, wine, if it has the proper preparation and fermentation at the right time, then at first everything in it is inseparable, and then one turns into yeast, another into foam, and another becomes a sweet drink for those who drink it, and this latter is useful and does not quickly spoil, whereas at first there was neither wine nor yeast, but everything was mixed. The same can be seen at sea during a strong storm. Just as we then see fish floating dead on the surface, unable to hide from the cold in the depths, so it happens with us. When a strong rain of satiety falls on us, disturbing everything, then it happens that our thoughts, which were healthy and calm until then, float as if dead on the surface (of our soul). So, having learned from these examples how great the harm [from satiety] is, let us cease to please those who should be considered unfortunate, and mourn ourselves for what we should call blessed, and let us love moderation. Or don’t you know the doctors’ saying that poverty is the mother of health? I will say that poverty is the mother of health, not only physical, but also mental. Paul, this true physician, inspires the same thing when he says: “Having food and clothing, we will be content with these things” (1 Tim. 6:8) (10). You might be interested in: