Lent 2026 - Reading #26 - Temperance
Reading
The Rule of Saint Benedict devotes careful attention to temperance in the daily life of the monastery: "We read that wine is not at all proper for monks. But since the monks of our day cannot be persuaded of this, let us agree at least on this: that we drink moderately, and not to the point of excess, for 'wine makes even the wise go astray.'" Benedict continues with his characteristic blend of idealism and realism: "Every person has his own gift from God, one in this way and another in that. For this reason, the amount of food and drink for each person cannot be determined with certainty. However, making allowance for the weakness of those who are less robust, we believe that a hemina of wine a day is sufficient for each. But those to whom God gives the strength to abstain should know that they will have their own reward." The Rule also teaches: "Above all, let not the evil of grumbling appear for any reason whatsoever in the least word or sign. If anyone is caught grumbling, let him undergo the more severe discipline." For Benedict, temperance is not just about what we consume but about the attitude with which we accept our portion. The grumbler who receives little is less temperate than the cheerful soul who receives much with gratitude.
Reflection
Twenty-eight days, four full weeks, of Lent are nearly complete. We have traveled far: through prudence, justice, fortitude, and now temperance. Today, Benedict the abbot brings the same earthy realism he brought to justice: temperance is not an ideal to be admired from a distance but a daily discipline to be practiced in the messiness of real life. His monks wanted wine; he could not persuade them to give it up; so he regulated it wisely. This is temperance in action. What strikes me most in Benedict's teaching is his insistence that grumbling is worse than overindulgence. This turns our usual thinking upside down. We imagine the great sin against temperance is eating or drinking too much. But Benedict says no, the deeper failure is the spirit of complaint, the attitude that resents whatever portion we are given. You can fast rigorously and still be profoundly intemperate if you do it with bitterness and self-pity. As we near the end of this week, check your spirit, not just your diet. Are you keeping your Lenten disciplines with grumbling or with gratitude? Benedict suggests that the quality of our acceptance matters more than the quantity of our abstinence. True temperance is not just moderation of the body but moderation of the spirit, a cheerful willingness to receive our portion, whatever it may be, as sufficient. This inner freedom is the real gift of the temperate life, and it prepares us for the great transition ahead: from the cardinal virtues to the theological.