Gluttony and Lust are killing America. Lent is an Important Antidote.
Gen 3:6 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
1John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
As we begin Lent, there are three universal temptations that the evil one almost always uses to entice us away from the Father. We see them in the Garden of Eden, where it says Eve was tempted because she saw that the food tasted good, it was attractive, and it would elevate her status in the world. In the letter of John, he calls these three temptations “lust of the flesh”, “lust of the eyes”, and the “boastful pride of life.”
Throughout the history of the Church, the antidotes to these threes temptations are fasting (to combat the lust of the flesh), almsgiving (to combat the greed of our eyes), and prayer (to combat our pride for glory). This reflection will focus on the “lust of the flesh.”
The lust of the flesh is rooted in those bodily desires and cravings that control and enslave us. In short, this is "sex" and "food." Both sex and food are good in and of themselves. Food sustains our life, and sex sustains our species. But when good things become ultimate things, they become “other gods,” and this is NOT GOOD. This leads to all kinds of potential evil. So, I wanted to get us to do a little examination of conscience at the beginning of Lent by getting you to ask yourself, “to what degree do I struggle lust and gluttony?” Before you try this exercise, its nice to be reminded of the good news; it's never too late to recalculate the route we are going on.
Take a moment or two to seriously ask yourself these two questions.
To what degree do I struggle with lust?
To what degree do I struggle with gluttony?
Pause…think
No really, ponder these questions and take some time to think about it.
Here are some other questions to help a self-diagnosis.
In regards to my battle with lust, do I look at pornography? If so, how often and to what degree?
Do I masturbate? How often?
With what intensity do I regularly fight these urges?
Do I always immediately give in, do I always give in, do I sometimes say no?
Are there situations and patterns that lead to defeat and other situations that lead to victory?
Even if I do not give into the temptations of pornography and masturbation (which is a tremendous grace you should be thankful for), there is one final question for you.
In general, do I long for sexual gratification on a regular basis to such a degree that I feel enslaved by my desires?
Again, Lent is a time recalculate. Make a plan, find friends to hold you accountable, and lastly, (but this should be first) go to confession.
In regards to Gluttony, here are some practical tips to help you. First, go look in a mirror. Are you overweight? Then the answer is most likely “yes,” you struggle with Gluttony. Even if you are not overweight, food is powerful.
Do I ever say no to my impulse to eat or drink?
If I do, how often? What is the length I will go to to say no to food and drink?
Do I indulge in sugary sweets, extra helpings, alcohol, soda simply because my taste buds cannot seem to get enough (This is a sign of enslavement).
Every time that we give in to our cravings, we are training ourselves to be enslaved to our body rather than to be in control of our body. Listen to St. Paul’s exhortation when it comes to training for the Spiritual battle.
1st Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Gluttony is a brutal beast. It is the silent killer in America, literally killing people by the millions when you look at all the complicating factors attached to obesity. But it is also killing our souls. Its a deadly sin…quite literally. Why isn’t the church speaking up about this more? Perhaps because our very leaders struggle with the sin too? How many Bishops and Priests have you seen that are obese? This is not good. On a positive note, this is one of the beautiful things about gluttony. It’s very difficult to hide. Its like mouse poop.
In this battle, the church has offered one very poignant antidote to both lust and gluttony. FASTING. When we fast, we begin to become awakened to the power that sex and food has over us because it won’t take long in a simple fast before it will cause you to think about nothing except for food and how much you desire it. Just as we fast from food, St. Paul even recommends fasting from sex for a time, so that as a couple you can devote yourselves to prayer (1st Cor. 7:5).
One more word about the expectation to fast. In the 1960s the Bishops in America softened some very difficult traditions and customs regarding fasting throughout the year. However, it is important to realize that in no way did this action by the bishops erase the spiritual command to fast. (Maybe some of the Bishops stopped, but that certainly doesn’t mean you or I should stop). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says "when you fast," not "if." He assumed that this was a regular part of every Christian's life. In fact, almost all Christians in the early church fasted not just on Fridays, but also on Wednesdays too. Not just during Lent, but all year round. Why? Because they took self control seriously, and they saw fasting as the major antidote to “lust of the flesh.” I am firmly convinced that if you’re not fasting regularly throughout the year and throughout your life, then you have not taken the sin of lust and gluttony seriously enough.
Here is the good news, the best time to recalibrate the direction of your life is now, during lent. Make a simple plan and stick to it.
Finally, let us not forget that Lent prepares us for the cross. Christ has died because we are sinners. He knows our struggles and His love is patient and forgiving. Nevertheless, He has given us the power to overcome our worldly desires. Let us strive for the victorious life! Let us strive to be a Christian.