Most people think of the old Temperance Union that drove prohibition in the last century:

But this is only part of temperance. Simply put, the virtue of temperance is what scripture calls self-control as in Galatians 5:22-23:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Self-control means that we are masters of our own impulses, appetites, and desires.

WARNING: YOU WILL NOT LIKE THE FOLLOWING LIST!

Comedian Louis C.K. said it best:  “I don’t eat until I’m full; I eat until I hate myself.”

When we think of the deadly sin of gluttony, we usually think of overeating–in other words–every normal Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, Easter, and Super Bowl Sunday. But the ancient church fathers saw gluttony as being more extensive than mere amount of food. What follows is gluttony as defined by St. Thomas Acquinas, in five easy parts.

Gluttony 1:
Eating too soon.

(Latin: praepropere) This is when you eat more than at mealtimes. Temperance demanded self-restraint and patience. Eating while preparing meals would be one example. Gluttons just can’t seem to leave food out of their mouths.

Gluttony 2: Eating too expensively.

(Latin: laute) Some people acquire a taste for exotic foods that cost a lot of money. This includes foods that are luxurious and exotic. To spend a significant portion of your income on special foods you don’t need is also gluttony.

GLUTTONY 3: Eating too much.

(Latin: nimis) This is the one we all know best. (See Super Bowl Sunday, or the graphic below).

GLUTTONY 4: Eating too eagerly.

(Latin: ardenter) Two German words illustrate this. Essen means to dine–to eat with knife and fork in an unanxious manner. Fressen means to eat like a dog; to wolf it down, Chug-a-lug, stuff your face, etc. Think: Cookie Monster. This also applied to those who obsess over food mentally–those who take too much energy in anticipating what to eat. Food is always in their thoughts—they fantasize about food. They think about flavors, textures, colors of food all the time. When these people sit down to a meal they take it all in. They wallow in the smells, sights, and sounds of food.

GLUTTONY 5: Eating too daintily.

(Latin: studiose) This refers to those of overly-delicate tastes. They will only eat “organic” foods, foods that are not genetically modified, foods not irradiated, only raw foods, or only locally grown foods. Most of these distinctions in foods don’t significantly alter the nutritional quality of food. It is a form of gluttony to fuss over insignificant details in foods. To prefer specialized delicacies–especially those that are ridiculously expensive–reveals a lack of moderation and too much of something like pride in eating. Like your parents and grandparents would have said: “Be grateful for what is set before you.”

THAT’S NOT ALL, FOLKS!

If gluttony were only about food and drink, we might see our way into the clear, but eating is only part of it. Temperance also applies to overspending, shopaholism, over-collecting—in fact, gluttony covers any delight or appetite which can hijack our otherwise sober sensibilities. All compulsions and drives need to be under the control of our spirituality. Our state of mind must be stronger than our desires.

"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything.
                                       –1 Corinthians 6:12