Written By: Molly Jenkins
Column: Theosis Through the Arts
Issue: Set to Appear in the April Issue of the Newsletter
“Let us show that we eat for the sake of living, and not be guilty of living for the sake of eating.”
Whilst on a Pinterest expedition for a yummy lenten recipe, I came across this quote from St. Maximus the Confessor. I was immediately drawn to the words and the imagery in this picture. There’s something so beautiful about monasticism that fills me with awe. If I devoted my life to prayer, like the monks in this photograph, what would my thoughts be like? Would I even care for food at all? St. Maximus tells us to eat so that our physical bodies may live, but he warns us not to be guilty of loving food.
During Great Lent, we are called to abstain from meat and dairy. The reason for this is so that we focus on our spiritual lives, rather than our physical desires for food. As human beings, we can not completely cease to put food in our stomachs. St. Maximus acknowledges this while still pushing us forward so as to “not be guilty of living for the sake of eating.” Simplicity in one’s diet, especially during Lent, is an extremely valuable part of our spiritual life. The three parts of the soul: the mind, the spirit, and the heart, are connected. When the heart desires pleasure, the thoughts in the mind become focused on what the heart desires. When we fast we are turning away from our heart’s physical desires and turning our thoughts to other things. So “Let us show that we eat for the sake of living, and not be guilty of living for the sake of eating.”
Attached is a simple Lenten meal 
Lenten Pasta (Serves 4):
- 12 oz. of pasta noodles
- Homemade avocado pesto*
- Sliced tomatoes
- Chickpeas
- Sunflower seeds
Directions:
Boil water and add in the noodles. Once cooked and drained, stir in the avocado pesto. Next, slice tomatoes and add them to the pasta. Now add the desired amount of chickpeas. Finally, stir in some sunflower seeds to add protein and texture.
Ingredients for Avocado Pesto:
- 2 ripe avocado
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- ½ tsp. salt
- 4 tbs olive oil
Directions:
Mix in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Happy Fasting!
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