Gluttony is the ultimate sin of excess. In modern times, it is the vice with which we ought to be the most familiar, as it is evident in so many areas of our lives. Though it’s normally considered to be an over-indulgence in food or drink, gluttony can be thought of as the over-indulgence or over-consumption of anything. Any time that we consume more of something than we need, and thereby withhold charity from others, we are committing the sin of gluttony.

Think of all the ways in which we consume to excess. Just considering food alone, there are several ways. The proof is in our waistlines. We eat meals that are much too large for our sedentary activity levels. Most of us eat out at restaurants more often than we should, which costs us substantially more than preparing these same meals at home.

Our houses could be considered gluttonous too. I imagine that our grandparents never dreamed of having houses as large as ours, and with all of the wonderful conveniences. Cross over the border into Mexico for a couple of hours, or just stand on the U.S. side and take in the sights for awhile. I think that many of the people who live in third world countries such as this would find our living conditions to border on gluttony.

How many vehicles does the average American family own? Two? Many have three or more. How large and thirsty are these vehicles? What about recreational vehicles — those used for nothing more than our own entertainment? We spend more money just to get from here to there without having to come into contact with other than people in many other cultures could ever imagine.

What about our electronics? Most families that I know of have a wide array of televisions, computers, cell phones, gaming machines, etc. We find these things necessary for our comfort.

Most of the above leads to a gluttonous use of energy. Our dependency on large temperature-controlled houses, multiple fuel-inefficient vehicles, and an excess of computers and gadgets, causes us to spend an inordinate amount of money on electricity and gas — a far greater amount than our parents and their parents before them.

While we are certainly entitled to a little bit of relaxation in our off time, and we should enjoy an occasional feast, our lives are built upon consumption. For many of us, this means that we don’t do nearly enough to share our abundant wealth with the less fortunate. We spend so much that we can’t afford charitable causes.

Most of us could do well to practice a little temperance in at least a few areas of our lives. Our preoccupation with the consumption of worldly things is distracting us from our heavenly goal. We need to work harder to store up treasures in heaven, rather than here on Earth.