Psalm Reflection: The Fourth Sunday of Lent, “Laetare Sunday” - Cycle C

“Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” - Psalms 34

"Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es.”

The French gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote this phrase in his 1826 book Physiologie du Goût (The Physiology of Taste). It translates to:

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” In other words, you are what you eat.

What we consume matters. What we put in our body matters. These things affect who we are, how we feel, and how we act. When we do not eat well, we become sluggish, irritable, and more prone to feelings of anxiety and depression. When we consume entertainment that is crass or inappropriate, it normalizes those thoughts in our brains and infects our speech. When we are surrounded by profanity, we are far more likely to use it ourselves.

Lent is a beautiful opportunity to rid ourselves of the things that are affecting us in negative ways so we can reset and reorient our hearts toward the Lord. We surround ourselves with prayer and good things, train ourselves in the habit of saying no, and turn our attention to the concerns of others above ourselves, so we can refocus and attune ourselves to the Lord’s will for our lives.

Every Lent, I fast from a lot. It is hard, but it is always so abundantly fruitful. I feel more and more like myself when I am able to remove things that cloud my body, mind, and soul. I can free myself from dependence on things so that I feel how my body is supposed to feel. No caffeine, no alcohol, no social media, no junk. Only what is good, healthy, wholesome, and true goes into my body. As a result, better things come out.

The invitation of the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday is to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” As I prayed with these words I was reminded of a time about five years ago when I completely cut out all artificial and processed foods and sugars. After about two weeks, my taste buds changed. Foods tasted different, they were richer and more flavorful. My body was no longer craving unhealthy sugars, it was only getting good food, and my desire for that food only increased.

What we eat and consume affects who we are, for better or for worse. Taste is not only about the food that we eat, it is also about our tongue. If I surround myself with people, habits, and environments that make me distant from the Lord and uncharitable, my “tongue” will change and my mouth will more readily taste of gossip, slander, anger, malice, pettiness, and judgment.

There is a brilliance to the fact that the Lord offers himself to us in the Eucharist, as food. We are meant to consume Him so that our taste for Him will increase and we will become more like Him. You are what you eat.

What are you consuming that is unhelpful?

What do you often desire and hunger for? Are those things good for you?

Do you have a hunger for the Lord and for good things? 

How can you increase your appetite for the Lord and for virtue?

When we consume good things, our tastes change. 

When we live for instant gratification, luxury, and for our own desires, we become more selfish.

When we fast, pray, and give alms, we develop a deeper hunger for God and a desire to love and serve others above ourselves.

Is Lent allowing that to happen in your heart and in your life? 

If not, there is still time to take a different path through the desert, one that leads to more virtue and freedom, but we must be willing to let go of the things we are accustomed to consuming so we can grow in our hunger for the Lord.

This Lent, starve yourself of sin and vice, so that your appetite for virtue will become insatiable.

I am praying for you, please pray for me and my family, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt

This reflection is based on the Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday, March 30th, 2025, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, “Laetare Sunday” - Cycle C: Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7.