When you are at table, be attentive, without noise or contention, to that which according to your custom is read, until you rise from meal ; and let not your mouth alone take meat, but let your hearing at the same time receive the Word of God.
To hunger after God’s Word is to desire to hear it. Many there are that hear holy reading and go empty away. They have no devout feeling towards it ; they lack all taste for it, and therefore easily lose all that they have heard. The very fact of hearing in this manner is a judgment upon them. Whereas it is written : ” Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill.” They shall be filled, because they have first felt hunger ; for it is only by such yearning that one becomes worthy to be satiated. We must then first exercise our heart in desiring and hungering after God’s Word, so that divine grace may come to pervade our whole being, to refresh us with spiritual savour and sweetness, to
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charm us so that we sing with the Psalmist : ” How sweet are thy words to my palate, more than honey to my mouth!” (Ps. cxviii. 103), and “The law of thy mouth is good to me above thousands of gold and silver” (Ps. cxviii. 72).
We should endeavour to partake of spiritual food whilst we take material refreshment — thus feeding the soul as well as the body. Indeed, as the soul is of more account than the body, we ought rather to seek gratification in the food of the soul. As often as Holy Scripture is read or explained, we ought to realise that this is a spiritual food sent us from God to support the soul lest it faint by the way — sent to confirm us against our temptations and all the dangers of this world. This is the food we must unceasingly hunger after. And when it is provided it must be retained in the mind so that we can say with the prophet : “Thy words I have hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against thee” (Ps. cxviii. 11). The sacred Word is the food of life to them that thus lay it up in their hearts, for it guards them against sin and leads them on to everlasting life.
Let us hear now what the rule adds concerning the sick : —
When such persons as, from their former way of life, are weak and sickly are allowed better diet than the rest, others, who from a different state are more strong, must not be concerned thereat, nor think it unjust.
Of Nourishing Both Soul and Body
This is the same as to say : the stronger must not take it amiss when they see the infirm treated indulgently. Rather, because they are stronger they must both bear the hardship of abstinence in themselves, and in compassion cheerfully put up with the weakness of others.
Neither shall they think those more privileged for having what is not allowed to themselves, but rather be glad that they are able to do what the others cannot.
It is better to abstain than to receive more. The former belongs to virtue, the latter to infirmity. That one may well congratulate herself who feels that by God’s grace she is so strong and well that the common food and drink are sufficient for her without looking for any delicacy or extra nourishment. For the less one desires and the more strictly one lives, the happier one is, because the way that leads to life is strait and narrow. So that she may well rejoice that is able to live sparingly for Christ’s sake, since poverty of life kills vices, stifles concupiscence, nourishes virtue, strengthens the soul, and raises the mind to heavenly things.
And if unto those persons who have come into the convent from a more tender and delicate manner of life, there be given any food, clothing, or bedding, which to the stronger, and therefore more fortunate, is not allowed, they to whom it is not given ought to consider how much the others are come down from their worldly way of
living, although as yet they are not able to go through such austerity as those who are stronger.
Why should they make this consideration ? In order that reflection may show them that it is only just that they who have come down from a higher position may receive more. Further, that recognising this to be just, they may not all wish to have what they see the few receive. For they that are capable of less are yet to be borne with. This point is set forth in the next passage : —
Neither should they take it ill and be troubled because they see such sisters more tenderly treated, for they are not thereby more honoured but rather more compassionated. A detestable disorder would arise in the convent should the rich and weak undergo all possible hardship and labour, while the poor and robust are made delicate and idle.
It is indeed most hateful if any poor person become fastidious in the place where the rich seek to make their life hard by renunciation. Yet this we may often see occur with many. For the more noble and gentle some were in the world, so much the more abjectly and severely do they live in the convent. And on the other hand, as some were the more lowly and poor before, so much the more eagerly do they afterwards look for better treatment and softness in the convent. But, as we said, it is truly hateful and wicked that the poor should seek for pleasures
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where the rich make every effort by their renunciation to labour for the love of God. The former live for their appetites, the others live for the spirit. The unworthy members travel by a wide and open road towards punishment — while the others hasten by the strait and narrow way to the reward of glory.
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