The holy man Fra Matteo and how he sowed an amazing crop of broad beans for the poor

115 Fra Matteo dedicates himself completely to preaching 116 He helps the poor with beans 117 Fra Matteo’s reputation

(115) Fra Matteo left the old man and was very purified in the ways of God by the grave persecutions and imprisonment he had suffered. He was aglow with an incredible enthusiasm. He would never abandon the perfect observance of the Rule neither because of human persecution nor diabolical temptation. Helped by the mercy of God he would sooner die. He considered being maltreated for the love of God a special gift. At the beginning he had preferred to stay in the forest and sought refuge in the mountains and solitary places for fear of being apprehended and also to dedicate himself better to holy contemplation. Alight now with loving zeal he committed himself completely to preaching and to serving poor souls. He no longer cared about any persecution that might come his way.

(116) During that year there was a great famine. He arrived in the region of Monte Cerignone where the people suffered even more because the soil in those parts is infertile. Realising that many poor people would die of hunger, he began to help them in this way. He quested for the poor, asking for beans from the rich and well-off. And because they trusted him very much he obtained a great quantity. Then he borrowed many good, fertile fields. He gathered a large number of poor farmers who had oxen to work those fields and had them sow the beans there. While they worked he went looking for bread and other things for them to eat. He paid for them himself. He did this thinking it would happen, as it did, that the poor would suffer more harshly in the spring because the days are longer and because even the rich would be without grain. When the time came the beans produced more than usual. He saw that the grace of God had helped in providing for the poor with enough beans for an army of people. Since he thought they were ready to eat, he had it proclaimed throughout the entire countryside that whoever wanted beans to eat should come to the fields of Fra Matteo. The rich people who had lent the fields were extremely happy and said, “Never in our life time have we seen better or bigger beans, nor even such a quantity of beans in these fields as now see with Fra Matteo’s beans.” News about Fra Matteo’s holiness spread abroad, and about how charity pleases God.

A vast crowd of poor people heard that God had provided them beans through Fra Matteo. From the mountains and barren places round about came a throng that completely covered the ground. Fra Matteo stood among them and said, “Poor friends, eat some of the beans the Lord God has provided for you. Take back as much as you want for the others. Be careful though not to trample or crush the bean stalks.” This was truly astounding. Even though there was a multitude there all day, the stalks appeared untouched. The neighbours who lived nearby the fields thought there would not even be any earth left since so many sacks, bags and panniers had been filled with it and carried off. The providence of God was so marvellous that when the beans ripened Fra Matteo ordered the rich people to collect the beans left over from the poor. Joking with him they said, “Father, it’s impossible that there be anything left but leaves.” Fra Matteo insisted that they should go and that they would not lose anything. The farmers talked together and one of the older ones said, “How many miracles have we seen this holy man do. Why shouldn’t we now believe what God has him say? Let’s go together and do what he tells us. Each went to his fields. When they pulled up the beans and had them threshed more was collected then than in other years, in fact more than had ever been seen before.

(117) Everyone considered this to be a miracle from God. They said, “It is no effort for Our Lord to multiply bread in the desert and to have multiplied Fra Matteo’s beans because of his deep faith and holy merits.” God brought a lot of good from this miracle. For when many greedy people and dyed-in-the-wool sinners saw it, they decided to change their lives. They were inspired to give alms generously to the poor. His reputation spread throughout all of Italy because of the innovation of the habit and because his new preaching. Many Friars of different Orders went to look for him so as to be accepted into his company. However Fra Matteo said, “I do not have permission from His Holiness for anyone but myself. I cannot clothe someone else. Many returned home unhappy. Some remained with the hope of obtaining a Bull from His Holiness.

Meanwhile Fra Matteo concentrated on preaching according to his original intention. He cared little about another reform. The Lord God, however, provided through other means, as will be said below.