August: Day 14: Translation of the Relics of our Venerable Father Theodosius of the Kiev Caves

August: Day 14:
Translation of the Relics of our Venerable Father Theodosius of the Kiev Caves
 
(On the Harm of Gluttony and the Benefits of Abstinence)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Theodosius of the Caves, the commemoration of the translation of whose holy relics from a cave to a stone church is today celebrated (this event occurred on August 14, 1091), was distinguished among his many virtues by his extraordinary abstinence in food and drink; bread in moderation and scanty vegetables were the food of this holy ascetic, who wished to mortify his flesh with its passions and lusts by fasting, vigil and labors. He did not always accept even this scanty food, but by fasting he increased his abstinence and labors to the highest degree. Thus, it is known about him that during Great Lent he retired to a cave until Lazarus Saturday. The entrance to the cave was covered with earth and people spoke with Theodosius through a window made in the cave.

II. The example of Venerable Theodosius of the Caves, who was an enemy of gluttony, prompts us to speak today about the harm of gluttony, to which, unfortunately, very many people indulge in at the present time, despite all the harm of this vice for the soul and body.

a) The Holy Fathers of the Church and all the great saints of God very strongly condemn this vice.

Saint John Chrysostom speaks thus about the harm of gluttony to the body: "For what reason, I ask you, do you burden your body with excess in food? Shall we offer you as a sacrifice? Or shall we lay you out for a feast? Nothing is so contrary to and detrimental for the body as overindulgence; nothing so destroys, burdens, and injures it as immoderate consumption of food. Those who lack restraint in food are so unreasonable that they will not even take care of themselves as much as others take care of their vessels. For wine merchants do not fill their containers beyond what is necessary, lest they burst, yet they take no such care for their poor belly, instead excessively burdening it with food and filling it with wine, thereby greatly constricting the spirit and that power which governs animal life." - "Gluttony prematurely brings one closer to old age, dulls the senses, clouds the mind, blinds the discerning intellect, causes numerous ailments, and imposes a great burden and intolerable weight." - "The force of the river does not erode the banks and cause their collapse as much as the desire for indulgence and overindulgence undermines all aspects of our health. Go to a hospital and inquire about this; there you will learn that almost all diseases originate from this. Indeed, pain in the legs, headaches, eye discomfort, pain in the arms, trembling of the entire body, and many other ailments (now is not the time to enumerate them) typically arise from gluttony and satiety." - "And if you want to know the illnesses of the soul," teaches the same Holy Father of the Church, "which are born from it, then you will see that covetousness, debauchery, despondency, laziness, lust and all indecencies have their origin from here."

Saint Basil the Great teaches: "Adam's gluttony brought death and destruction to the world through the lust of the belly. Noah was mocked, Ham was cursed, Esau lost his birthright, Israel's gluttony made him an idol worshipper and brought the Israelites to the point that their bodies fell in the desert. The gluttony of one of the prophets, sent by God to denounce the wicked king, made him food for a wild beast." 

According to the words of Saint Symeon Stylite the New (May 24), overeating gives birth to bad thoughts, darkens the mind, instills passions, transforms a spiritual person into a carnal one, nailing his thoughts to carnal desires.

And the Saint of Christ Tikhon of Zadonsk teaches that excess in food and drink is the mother of all evils. Just as in a rotten swamp all sorts of vermin breed, so in a voluptuous heart all sorts of sinful impurity is born.

b) Heeding this teaching of the Holy Fathers about gluttony, “let us not burden our hearts with gluttony and drunkenness” (Luke 21:34), “let us eliminate all satiety in meals and love abstinence.” “Moderation in food,” says Saint Chrysostom, “is the mother of both health and pleasure.” And Saint Basil the Great teaches about abstinence in food: “If you control your belly, you will dwell in paradise, but if you do not control it, you will become the prey of death.” 

Here are some examples of abstinence.

1) It is known about Abba Mark the ascetic that for sixty-three years he led the following way of life: he fasted for a week, so that others considered him incorporeal, and working day and night, he distributed what he got to the poor; but he never took anything from anyone. Hearing about him, Christ-lovers brought him alms. But he said: “I do not take; for my handiwork feeds both me and those who come to me for God’s sake.”

2) In the Monastery of the Venerable Theodosius the Archimandrite there lived an elder named Konon, who for 35 years kept the following rule: he ate once a week, and only bread and water, he worked incessantly and almost never left the church.

3) Abba Pior ate while walking. Someone asked him: "Why do you eat like this?" The Abba answered: "I do not want to engage in food as a matter of business; therefore I eat in between." Someone else asked him about the same thing. The elder answered: "I do this so that when I eat, my soul does not feel bodily pleasure." 

4) They said about Abba Makarios, when he happened to be with the brethren, he made it a rule for himself: if there is wine, drink for the brethren; for one glass of wine do not drink water for a whole day. Therefore, when the brethren gave him wine for peace, the elder accepted it with joy in order to torment himself. But his disciple, knowing this, said to the brethren: “For the Lord’s sake do not give it to him; otherwise he will torment himself in his cell.” The brethren, having learned this, no longer offered him wine.

III. Therefore, fellow Christians, having such examples of abstinence, let us take care of moderation, so that we may enjoy bodily health and, having freed our souls from every illness, be participants in the future blessings of the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.