Confessions - Book X - Chapter Xxxi
St. Augustine reflects on the spiritual discipline of fasting and the struggle to subordinate bodily desires to the pursuit of eternal incorruption.
In this devotional reflection from Confessions Book X, St. Augustine meditates on the spiritual discipline of fasting and the tension between bodily desires and the pursuit of eternal life. He candidly discusses the necessity of food for physical health while warning against the dangers of indulgence. Augustine encourages believers to view bodily needs through the lens of spiritual growth and to anticipate the ultimate transformation into incorruptible life.
Text
43. There is yet another \"evil of the day\"[351] to which I wish I were sufficient. By eating and drinking we restore the daily losses of the body until that day when thou destroyest both food and stomach, when thou wilt destroy this emptiness with an amazing fullness and wilt clothe this corruptible with an eternal incorruption. But now the necessity of habit is sweet to me, and against this sweetness must I fight, lest I be enthralled by it. Thus I carry on a daily war by fasting, constantly \"bringing my body into subjection,\"[352] after which my pains are banished by pleasure. For hunger and thirst are actual pain. They consume and destroy like fever does, unless the medicine of food is at hand to relieve us. And since this medicine at hand comes from the comfort we receive in thy gifts (by means of which land and water and air serve our infirmity), even our calamity is called pleasure.
44. This much thou hast taught me: that I should learn to take food as medicine. But during that time when I pass from the pinch of emptiness to the contentment of fullness, it is in that very moment that the snare of appetite lies baited for me. For the passage itself is pleasant; there is no other way of passing thither, and necessity compels us to pass. And while health is the reason for our eating and drinking, yet a perilous delight joins itself to them as a handmaid; and indeed, she tries to take precedence in order that I may want to do for her sake what I say I want to do for health\\
Sermon Outline
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I
- The necessity of bodily sustenance
- Daily restoration through food and drink
- The transient nature of physical hunger
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II
- The spiritual danger of pleasure in eating
- Fasting as a form of bodily subjection
- The tension between necessity and desire
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III
- Food as medicine for the body
- The snare of appetite during transition from hunger to fullness
- The call to prioritize spiritual health over physical pleasure
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IV
- The hope of eternal incorruption
- The contrast between temporal and eternal satisfaction
- The ongoing spiritual warfare in daily life
Key Quotes
“By eating and drinking we restore the daily losses of the body until that day when thou destroyest both food and stomach, when thou wilt destroy this emptiness with an amazing fullness and wilt clothe this corruptible with an eternal incorruption.” — St. Augustine
“Thus I carry on a daily war by fasting, constantly 'bringing my body into subjection,' after which my pains are banished by pleasure.” — St. Augustine
“This much thou hast taught me: that I should learn to take food as medicine.” — St. Augustine
Application Points
- Practice fasting as a way to discipline the body and focus on spiritual growth.
- Recognize bodily needs as necessary but avoid allowing pleasure to become a controlling desire.
- Keep eternal life in view to overcome temporary temptations and struggles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Augustine mean by 'bringing my body into subjection'?
He refers to the spiritual discipline of fasting, where the body is disciplined to overcome its desires for the sake of spiritual growth.
Why does Augustine describe food as medicine?
Because food restores the body’s health and relieves the pain of hunger, much like medicine heals physical ailments.
What is the 'snare of appetite' Augustine mentions?
It is the temptation to seek pleasure in eating beyond the necessity of health, which can distract from spiritual focus.
How does Augustine view bodily pleasures?
He acknowledges their necessity but warns against allowing them to dominate or enslave the soul.
What is the ultimate hope Augustine points to?
The transformation from corruptible flesh to eternal incorruption in the life to come.