A simple meal: thanking God who provides what is necessary
We rarely eat out of necessity: we eat out of habit, desire, pleasure, boredom, socializing. Abundance is such that we forget what being hungry means. This quest invites you to have a deliberately plain meal today, and to thank God for providing what is necessary.
What it looks like in your day
Choose a meal. A lunch or a dinner, which you would usually prepare with more elements. Today, simplify.
Compose it simply. Bread, cheese, a soup, rice and vegetables, eggs, pasta with a little oil. A sufficient meal, without excess, without sophistication.
Prepare it with care. Simple doesn't mean neglected. Set the table, take your time eating, savor.
Give thanks. Before starting, a moment of gratitude: “Thank you, Lord, for this bread, for this water, for all that I have.”
Think of those who have less. Each bite is an opportunity to think of those whose meal of the day is uncertain, and, if possible, to make a gesture: a gift to a food-aid association, a meal offered.
Observe. What do you feel? A sense of lack? Freedom? Does the taste of the food change when it is simpler?
This quest is not a fast or a diet: you eat until you are full, but with sobriety. The goal is to rediscover what is enough.
If you are short on time, a meal of bread and a soup can be prepared in twenty minutes. If you are shy, nobody needs to know. If you eat with family, explain the intention to everyone: it can be a nice moment to share. You can even ask each person to say, in turn, one thing they are grateful for at this table: the meal then becomes a small time of thanksgiving.
What the Bible says
Paul writes to Timothy:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”
“Having food and raiment let us be therewith content”: contentment is presented as great gain. We brought nothing into the world and will carry nothing out. In the book of Proverbs, a wise man prays:
“Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”
“Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me”: he asks for what is enough, neither too much nor too little, for fear of forgetting God in abundance or offending him in lack. Jesus, by the way, teaches us to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11): bread for today.
Pitfalls to avoid
Making it a harsh exercise in asceticism. A simple meal is not a punishment meal. Eat until you are full, with joy.
Feeling superior. Don't judge those who eat abundantly. The goal is not to stand out.
Neglecting your health. If you have particular nutritional needs, adapt. The quest is not a voluntary deficiency.
Despising food. A meal is a gift from God. A simple meal can be delicious.
Forgetting those who have nothing to eat. Contentment should translate into sharing.
Today, put together a simple meal. Thank God for what is necessary.