One may be surprised by Benedict’s “restriction” on food. However, he keeps with a common spirit throughout our Rule of Life. Sister Joan Chittester notes that our monastic father provides exceptions for everything except kindness and self-control.[1] Long fasts that deprive the physical body of needed nutrition is not recognized in Benedictine spirituality. There are benefits of fasts for heightening spiritual awareness of God’s provision, but there is no pride to be taken in hurting the physical for the sake of the spiritual. In fact, St. Benedict realized the necessity of balance in all facets of life. We are triune in nature (body, mind, and spirit) created in the image of a Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Each aspect of our being is to be nurtured. In this chapter, The Rule attends to physical nourishment.
Sixth century monastics worked hard. They needed food to replenish their energy for physical labor. Granted, their meals were simple. However, Benedict suggested that plenty of food be provided for nourishment and a variety be offered for enjoyment. Also, age was considered in the distribution of foods. As members aged, there was need for more food to fuel their bodies.
Exceptions were also given for the sick. While they normal abstained from eating meats (except fish or fowl), the sick was provided the additional nutrition of red meat. To put these restriction into context, sixth century thought suggested that eating red meat contributed to aggressive behavior of humans. There are contemporary articles that continue to promote that idea. Therefore, it may have been a restriction to promote communal harmony. However, children and the sick were given meat in their diets. Another speculation is that meat was simply too expensive and difficult to preserve to make it reasonable for them. Traveling to India, I was surprised that local explanation for their vegetarian diets is that many simply cannot afford meat.
All this ought to be kept in balance. Just as Benedict provided for sufficient food to nourish the physical body, he provided instructions to care for the mind and the spirit. Each aspect of our human being requires nourishment. We often focus on diets for our physical wellbeing and that is commendable. We invest time and energy to develop our knowledge and mental health. That is also very good. How often do we intentionally nourish our spirit? What do we do to practice spiritual nourishment? Where do we go to take opportunities to feed our spirit? When do we break-fast spiritually and eat? If our spirit had a physical body, how would it feel?
Eat and enjoy!
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[1] Joan Chittister, The rule of Benedict: a spirituality for the 21st century (New York: Crossroad, 2010), 186.
