Knowledge is Food

From a homily by Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishop “... He has to communicate this knowledge to his disciples, because teaching is food, even for the teacher...”

“... I will say more: we must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do...”

Isaiah 65:1b-3a

I said: Here I am! Here I am!

   To a nation that did not call upon my name.

I have stretched out my hands all the day

   to a rebellious people,

Who walk in evil paths

   and follow their own thoughts,

People who provoke me

   continually, to my face.

Yesterday, I cut a client's hair who is fourteen years old and whose mom is partnered with another woman. He asked me if I believed everything the Catholic Church teaches. I replied yes, and he said, "EVERYTHING?" I again replied yes and then explained the Church's teaching on both abortion and same-sex attraction and marriage. He was open to hearing it and said he would check out some of my online content. I read these passages in The Liturgy of the Hours, Office of Readings, this morning.

To teach is to feed. What I did with my young client yesterday was teaching. I gave him true food. And in so doing, I fed myself-fatherly action. What I did with another man last night after work, ignoring him after he went out to dinner with others and then horse playing in a way that was on the verge of being sexual, was also teaching. And in so doing, I fed myself-selfish action. One is good food, and one is unhealthy. What I did with my client was a sacrifice. What I did with a friend was selfish.

Teaching is food. Behavior and speech are teaching. We consume what we do. Moses burned the golden calf, threw its ash into the water, and made the Israelites drink it. He made them consume their sin literally. We consume what we do. Our spiritual stomachs digest our behavior, and it becomes part of us. So do those who we teach. So, I and those who watch and listen to me consume what I do and say.

This is why a firm amendment of purpose is essential—a change in food. Consuming the same sinful food blocks God in me and it blocks Him in those who consume what I do and say.

Human-written, AI spell-checked 3/27/21 AD

Image from Alexa at Pixaby