Spiritual Hunger

   "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4: 4)”

   We feed our physical self quite well most of the time.  In fact, many of us over-feed our physical self on a regular basis.  On the other hand, we tend to let our spiritual life go unfed for days on end.

   If we don’t get three meals a day plus a snack or two we feel deprived.  Our body craves the food and we are quite happy to satisfy that craving.  However, we don’t give our spiritual hunger the same attention.  Many of us feed our spirit for an hour or so on Sunday and that’s the extent of it.  If we fed our bodies in this manner they would be malnourished, weak and susceptible to infection and disease.  If we starve our spirit our faith also becomes weak and we are highly susceptible to the temptation of sin.

   Just as there are many ways to feed our body, there are also many ways to feed our spirit.  There are thousands of books chocked full of spiritual food.  The Bible gives us God’s own word for our nourishment.  With the sole exception of Good Friday Mass is celebrated every day of the year.  We can nourish our spirit with the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord through the Eucharist.  We have no excuse to let our spiritual life suffer from lack of food.  Laziness and complacency are the main causes of an underfed soul.

   Stop and think for a moment.  How much time do you devote to eating each day?  Preparing meals, eating and cleaning up takes time.  Going out to eat usually takes even more. This doesn’t include the time used for snacks and treats throughout the day.  We probably spend at least four hours a day ensuring our body has all the food it needs, if not more than it needs.

   Now consider how much time is spent feeding our spirit.  Some have prayer time and quiet time with the Lord.  Some attend Mass each day.  Others read to enrich their spirit.  A few do all of these things and let their spirit feast really well.  Those who properly feed their soul can tell you that it makes a big difference in their life.

   When praying the Our Father we ask, “Give us this day, our daily bread”.  Keep in mind that our daily bread isn’t just for our physical well-being.  We need the bread of life, Jesus Christ to feed our spirit.  We talk of eating a balanced diet.  Let’s make sure that the balance includes proper nourishment of our soul as well as our body.