For my tenth Father Gabriel Orthodox Christian comic strip, I found this beautiful quote by Saint Seraphim of Sarov that deals with the temptation of filling our stomach with food instead of filling our soul with spiritual nourishment:
One should not think about the doings of God when one’s stomach is full; on a full stomach there can be no vision of the Divine mysteries.
St. Seraphim of Sarov, “The Spiritual Instructions to Laymen and Monks”, printed in Little Russian Philokalia: Saint Seraphim of Sarov
I must confess that this is a temptation that I often struggle with, especially since I have a wife who’s an excellent cook! But as Saint Seraphim says, when we give in to self indulgence and fill our belly with foods, we deprive our soul with God’s spiritual blessings.
If we must eat, let us eat of the flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us attend church services on a regular basis and partake of Holy Communion. Let us also eat of the foods that last an eternity: prayer, reading of scripture and attending divine services as much as possible.
Have a blessed Holy Week!