“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
“We eat to live, not live to eat.” I’m not quite sure where I heard those words as a child, but they always resurface whenever I am tempted to overeat. Food is a gift from God. It nourishes us, brings families together, and gives us reason to celebrate.
Jesus shared meals with others, and some of his most important encounters took place around a table. Enjoying a good meal is not a sin. Neither is feeling hungry, taking pleasure in food, or having a second serving. Gluttony begins when our appetite becomes disordered. A disordered appetite is when we habitually seek more than we need, cannot easily say “enough,” or become so concerned with our own enjoyment that we forget the needs of others.
What is Gluttony?
The Catechism lists gluttony among the capital/deadly sins (CCC 1866). If I feel entitled to have whatever I want whenever I want it, I may grow impatient when I have to wait, ungrateful for what I receive, or unwilling to share. These are some habits that grow from gluttony.
Is gluttony only about food? Food and drink are its clearest expressions, including excessive drinking of alcohol. The wider spiritual problem is an appetite without limits. We can recognize a similar pattern when we consume entertainment, social media, shop, or scroll through our phones long after the enjoyment has passed. These are not all gluttony in the strict sense. They do, however, invite us to reflect on whether we are choosing freely or have become addicted to always wanting more.
Gluttony and Alcohol
Gluttony also concerns what we drink. In Guyana, we know the damage excessive drinking does. Alcohol abuse strains relationships, leads to harsh words or violence and puts lives at risk on the road. Do I know when to stop? Can I enjoy a gathering without drinking? Am I using alcohol to avoid a problem I need to face? For someone struggling with dependence, the answer usually requires more than a personal promise to drink less. Asking for help from family, friends or a health professional is an act of courage. We should support that person’s recovery rather than shame them.
Scripture warns us about letting appetite rule our lives. Proverbs cautions against excessive eating and drinking (Proverbs 23:20–21). St Paul speaks of people whose “god is their stomach” (Philippians 3:19). He is not condemning the body or the pleasure of eating but is warning against making appetite our master. Jesus also tells the parable of a rich man who stores up his harvest and plans to “eat, drink, be merry.” His mistake is not that he has food or wants to enjoy it. He thinks only of himself and his own future, with no thought for God or anyone else (Luke 12:16–21).
This brings us to food waste. In many homes, we cook far more than we can eat, leave food forgotten in the fridge, and then throw it away. Restaurants may serve portions so large that much of the meal goes into the bin. At the same time, families struggle to put food on the table.
Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si’ that throwing away food is like taking it from the table of the poor (LS 50). He is asking us to see food as more than a product we paid for. Someone grew it, transported it, prepared it, and used the earth’s resources to bring it to our table. Wastefulness reveals how easily we take those gifts for granted.
Temperance
The virtue that helps us resist gluttony is temperance. Temperance moderates our attraction to pleasure and helps us use created goods with balance (CCC 1809). Balance means not too much or too little. Temperance does not mean disliking food or alcohol. It helps us enjoy a meal without needing to have everything we desire. It gives us the freedom to stop when we have had enough and to think of those who do not have enough.
Temperance means we should be honest about how much we drink and whether alcohol is affecting our judgment, relationships, work, or care for others. For those who are not satisfied with a drink or two, it is better to not drink at all.
Practicing Temperance
How might we practice it? We can begin by taking a sensible portion of food and returning for more if we are still hungry. We can plan meals, use leftovers, and be realistic about how much food an event needs. At a restaurant, we can order what we expect to eat and take home what we cannot finish, where possible. We can also make a habit of sharing food with those who need it. These are small decisions that can shape our character.
Fasting can help us grow in temperance, too. It teaches us that we do not have to satisfy every desire immediately. Fasting should also make us more attentive to those who do not get to choose when they will eat again. If denying ourselves a meal never opens our hearts to the hungry, we have missed something important.
The next time we sit down to eat, perhaps we can pause to thank God for the food, the people who helped provide it, and those with whom we share it.
