THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT: Reflecting on the sin of Gluttony
This continues a series of reflections on the seven deadly sins, with related scripture for meditation. Begin the series here.
They called it the MEATBALL DEATH STAR: 5 pounds of ground beef wrapped around a mixture of cheese tortellinis, sautéed sweet peppers and onions; a fluffy cloud of garlic mashed potatoes; a woven cloak of bacon, spaghetti sauce and grated cheese. Six teenagers gathered at my house and cooked the thing for a Saturday afternoon snack.
The astonishing thing to me was the speed with which they ate, and the fact that none of it was left!
Week 6: Psalm 130 — “From the sin of GLUTTONY, O Lord, deliver me…”Ahh, gluttony…. Is it really a deadly sin?
Maybe it’s easier to see gluttony as evil when there’s not enough to go around. But feasting has become an American pastime, only matched by our obsession with dieting – and where would one be without the other? Abundance has become less a cause for thanksgiving as a challenge to consume as much as possible.
Whereas the sin of greed strives to possess, gluttony consumes. It can be defined as the habitual, inordinate consumption of food or other worldly goods. Focusing on food, St. Thomas Aquinas listed five different ways to be gluttonous, a list which could form the basis of an examination of conscience:
Eating food that is too extravagant, exotic, or expensiveEating too much foodEating food that is too elaborately prepared – making sure you eat the best of everythingEating too soon, or at an inappropriate time – what our parents called “eating between meals” or “ruining your supper”Eating too eagerly (“demolishing” that Death Star, for example!)
Last I checked, all of these things except for maybe #2 are considered normal behavior if not virtues today. And gluttony is not just about food. The CCC calls it a “perverse attachment” to anything we treat with an inordinate desire for consumption. Constantly binge-watching tv shows, maybe. Or addiction to social media or news. Clothing. Tchotchkes – even religious ones.
You really can have too much of a good thing.What is the problem with gluttony? Left unchecked, gluttony fills you up — and spoils your appetite for God.
I leave you with St. Paul’s words to the Philippians (emphasis mine):
“Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Phil 3:17-21).
Examine your heartThis week we are offering up our temptation to gluttony, as we pray with the 6th penitential psalm, Psalm 130. The passage from Philippians above is a good one to meditate on before prayer, or you might want to reflect on one or more of these as you prepare your heart:
Proverbs 23:20–21; 25:16Romans 13:141 Corinthians 3:16–17; 6:12, 19–20; and 10:31
“From the sin of gluttony, O Lord, deliver me…”
+ + + + + + +Read my post on praying with the Penitential Psalms for Lent here.
Download instructions here: Praying-the-Penitential-Psalms-download.pdfRead my reflection on Psalm 130 here.Up next: Week 7, Psalm 143 — “From the sin of Sloth, O Lord, deliver me…”+ + + + + + +FIND GRACE IN THE PSALMS AS YOU CONTINUE YOUR LENTEN JOURNEYI encourage you to reflect on the Penitential Psalms many times during Lent. Maybe as you sit before the Lord in adoration, before you go to confession, or in your daily prayers. And may your heart open wide to the graces Christ has for you!
© 2014 Sarah Christmyer. Updated 2025.
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