A Slavish Monk

Χαίρει Ἰουδαῖος Σαββάτῳ καὶ ἑορτῇ· μοναχὸς γαστρίμαργος Σαββάτῳ καὶ Κυριακῇ· πρὸ χρόνου τὸ Πάσχα ψηφίζει, καὶ πρὸ ἡμερῶν τὰ ἐδέσματα εὐτρεπίζει. Ψηφίζει κοιλιόδουλος ἐν ποίοις βρώμασιν ἑορτάσει· ὁ δὲ θεόδουλος ἐν ποίοις χαρίσμασιν πλουτήσει. Ξένου ἐπιδημήσαντος εἰς ἀγάπην ὅλος ἐκ γαστριμαργίας κινεῖται· καὶ παράκλησιν ἀδελφοῦ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατάλυσιν λογίζεται· ἐπὶ παρουσίᾳ τινῶν τοῦ οἴνου καταλύειν ἐσκέψατο· καὶ ἀρετὴν δοκῶν κρύπτειν, πάθους δοῦλος ἐγένετο. Ἐχθραίνει πολλάκις κενοδοξία τῇ γαστριμαργίᾳ, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ ὀνησίμῳ δούλῳ τῷ ἀθλίῳ μοναχῷ διαμάχονται· ἡ μὲν καταλύειν βιάζεται, ἡ δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀρετὴν θριαμβεύειν ὑποτίθεται· σοφὸς μοναχὸς ἀμφοτέρων ἐκφεύξεται, ἐν οἰκείῳ καιρῷ τῇ ἑτέρᾳ τὴν ἑτέραν ἀποσειόμενος. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης τῆς Κλίμακος, Λόγος ΙΔ', ἡ Κλίμαξ Source: Migne PG 88.864d-865a

The Jew rejoices on Sabbaths and feast days; the monk who is a glutton on Saturdays and Sundays. He reckons up the days until Easter, and he prepares the food for it days before. A slavish belly calculates on what dishes it will feast, but the servant of God considers with what graces he may be enriched. A visitor arriving, he is moved to be hospitable entirely out of gluttony, and he judges laxity for himself as a comforting of his brother. In the presence of others, he thinks it right to allow himself wine, and thinking that he conceals his virtue he becomes a slave of passion. Often vainglory is an adversary of gluttony, and they fight among themselves for the wretched monk as for a purchased slave. The one drives him to relax, the other suggests that he should lead about his virtue in triumph. The wise monk flees both, at the right time shaking off the one by the other. Saint John Climacus, from Step 14, The Ladder