Nourish the Soul 

   “You will not see anyone who is truly striving after his spiritual advancement who is not given to spiritual reading.”  (St. Athanasius of Alexandria)

 

   There is an adage that says you are what you eat.  As with many of these old sayings there is some truth in this one.  If we eat healthy foods and avoid those which are not so good for us, we are more likely to be healthy ourselves.  A well-balanced sensible diet can do much to help us maintain our health.

 

   The same principle applies to our spiritual health.  If we fill our minds and hearts with the wrong things it can harm our spiritual health just as the wrong foods harm the physical.  Proper nourishment is needed if we are to develop and maintain a proper relationship with our Lord

 

   Is your bookshelf filled with fiction, glorifying sex, and violence?  Do the television shows you watch provide healthy nourishment for the soul or the sinful joys and pleasures of a fallen world?  Is there a Bible on your nightstand or beside your favorite chair?  What of the writings of the saints; are they part of your reading material?  Do you pray?  Is God first in your life; above all else?

 

   We go to great lengths in our efforts to keep our body healthy.  If we want to reach God’s heavenly kingdom we must put the same or even greater effort into our spiritual well-being.  Our earthly bodies, regardless of their health, will pass away.  Our soul lives forever.  By properly feeding the spirit we can all be saints.

 

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of the one who sent me.”  (John 4: 34)