Real Food and Drink

' Cognovi quia non est bonum, nisi laetari, et facere bonum in vita sua. Et quidam omnis homo qui comedit, et bibit, et ostendit bonum in omni labore suo, ex dono Dei est.'   Propterea colonus et hospes mundi homo datus est, ut brevi vitae suae fruatur tempore, et spe prolixioris aetatis abscissa, cuncta quae possidet, quasi ad alias profecturus aspiciat, et quod potest bene faciat in vita sua: nec frusta ob congregandas opes cogitationibus torqueatur. Neque se putet plus de suo labore lucrari posse, quam cibum et potum, et si quid de opibus suis in bonis operibus expenderit, hoc solum donum Dei est. Ex quibus, non, ut quidam aestimant, ad luxuriam et delicias, et ad desperationem, secundum illud Isaiae: 'Manducemus et bibamus, cras enim moriemur' instar animalium provocamur; sed secundum Apostolum 'Habentes victum et vestitum, his contenti sumus,' ut quidquid, supra habere possumus, in pauperibus nutriendis et egentium largitione consumamus. Porro, quia caro Domini verus est cibus, et sanguis ejus verus est potus, juxta ἀναγογήν, hoc solum habemus in praesenti saeculo bonum, si vescamur carne ejus, et cruore potemur, non solum in mysterio sed etiam in Scripturarum lectione. Verus enim cibus et potus, qui ex verbo Dei sumitur, scientia Scripturarum est. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarius Ecclesiasten, Liber I

' I knew there was no good, unless to have joy and to do good in this life. And every man who eats and drinks and shows good in all his labour, it is a gift from God.' 1   Because man is given to the world as a farmer and a guest, that he may profit from the time of his brief life, having hope cut off of extended age, he should see that everything which he possesses will go to another, and that he is able to act well in this life, lest vainly for the gathering of wealth he torment himself in his thoughts. He should not think how he could collect more coin by his labour than he needs for bread and drink, but rather that if he has expended his wealth on good works, that this is the only gift of God. And so those who judge the matter in this way, do not go to luxuries and delicacies and desperation, as  Isaiah says, 'We eat and we drink, for tomorrow we die,' 2 indeed as much as we are ruled by our animal side, but according to the Apostle: 'Having victuals and clothing, with these we are content,' 3 that whatever we have beyond this we give to the nourishment of the poor and the supplying of the needy. However, because the flesh of the Lord is true bread and his blood is true drink, according to anagoge, this good alone we have in the present age, if we eat his flesh and drink his blood, not only in mystery, but even in the reading of Scripture. For true food and drink, that we take up from the word of God, is the knowledge of Scripture.   Saint Jerome, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Book 1 1 Eccl 3. 12-13 2. Isa. 22.31 3 1 Tim 6.8