Early Christians were often labeled by their critics as incestuous, because they called one another 'brother and sister,' atheistic, because they worshiped a god who was invisible, and cannibalistic, because they insisted they were eating the body and blood of a dead person.

This last criticism is rooted in St. John's quoting Jesus and a lengthy discourse on the subject which asserts, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." (6:56) Without touching on the centuries old debate regarding the literal meanings suggested here, we do well to consider the subject metaphorically. For what we consume, consumes us.

Like the four food groups, we might sort the Christian endeavor into four basic groups: prayer, work, study and entertainment. And, using the diagram above, we do well to order our portions accordingly; prayer being the foundation upon which the Christian life thrives, work being the carrying out of our vocation inside and outside the home, study being that which informs and moves us further toward maturity, and entertainment, that which feeds the imagination and fulfills the artist in us all.

As we all know the age-old presence of evil continually seeks to turn this pyramid upside down, and successfully so in North America - compare the amount of time the average American spends watching television vs. praying. This is not meant to shame or embarrass us, but to stir us up and encourage us to live the devoted lives we want to live.

Pause for a moment and ask: what does your 'food pyramid' look like?
What can you do to change it?