The strictness and austerity they observed regarding food

20 The example of the Seraphic Father 21 The use of meat 22 Reputation for holiness 23 Abstinence

(20) The early Fathers took up the task of imitating or Father Saint Francis. As Saint Bonaventure says, our Father was so frugal and austere in eating that he didn’t dare to quench his thirst with fresh water, saying that it was difficult to satisfy ones needs with obeying self-indulgence. As one can read, he did the forty-days on bread and water when he begged the Rule from God at Fonte Colombo. In that place he did two sets of forty-days on bread and water. He fasted on Mount Alverna when he was signed with the sacred stigmata and on Isola Maggiore on the lake at Perugia where he did a forty-days without eating anything but half a loaf of bread. IN other places he ifs found to have been very austere in eating.

(21) As our early Fathers gazed upon this brilliant exemplar they too led a very exemplary life in taking meals necessary for their physical sustenance. It lasted for many years in friaries of the poor Capuchins they rarely and hardly ever took meat and wine. For the great majority of them did all the forty-days that our Father Saint Francis used to do. Most fasted continuously, eating once a day. If there was someone who would have eaten some meat, when he saw that his other brothers were not eating it, he too didn’t want it. If they were given some meat, they returned it. As their reputation spread almost everywhere that the Capuchins did not eat it was hardly ever offered them. They did not receive meat unless it was poor quality. In no way did they receive chickens, birds and the like, nor did they want to eat them when they were placed in front of them. They said, “These are not the food of Capuchins.” However they met their needs with herbs, vegetables and fruit. Their desire to satisfy themselves with herbs was such that they cared little about other refined foods. Most of them didn’t eat anything cooked, but raw herbs and fruit. The best dish made in those times and which was used most at table consisted of baked bread, cabbage and broad beans.

Since for the love of God they did violence to those things that pleased self-indulgence they Holy Spirit filled their hearts with spiritual consolation. For their sobriety was such that they were always ready for contemplation and His Goodness did not fail to enlighten those purified minds. So it came about that they had a loathing for all the delights of the flesh. When some meat came into the house, they shunned it as if it were a snake. I often heard it said in the friary at Narni, “I like this place very much because it is devout and solitary. However, since meat comes here I am not happy to be here.” This was because Mr Theodore, out of devotion, gave the poor Capuchins a pound of meat each week. Although he was often told not to give it, nonetheless he always did it, especially in summer. It could not be given back because he would leave it and go away. Once he gave some tuna. None of the Friars wanted to eat it, so in my presence Brother Raniero of Borgo gave to the cat. In the friary at Norsia, because Benedict Finocchiuolo brought there a small amount of meat, they insisted with him that it not appear there again. If I wanted to tell all the examples it would be too many to say. Outside of Eastertide and carnevale bread was rarely, hardly ever eaten.

(22) This was such a great example to seculars that everyone spoke of the Capuchins as saints. On this was founded the good example and devotion of the seculars which endures until this day. When the seculars saw them they stood and watched in silent wonder. Many of them said with tears, “These are true servants of God who have put the world beneath their feet. It is obvious they suffer. None of them has any colour in his face.”

(23) They didn’t want frying pans in the friaries. They said that frying did not belong to the poor because a lot of stuff is used up. Nor did they use anything else to whet the appetite and satisfy desire from which, as servants of God, they had to flee. Nor did they make roasts, sauces and the like. Rather their abstinence was such that they used hunger for all these things. Indeed many of them added water when they were eating some minestra that delighted their senses so that they would taste its flavour. It was amazing because the Lord God so concurred with this. When they were eating those simple foods he gave them such a flavour that a salad had more taste for he Friars that any refined dish that a gentleman might have made.

Since they rarely satisfied their hunger with those simple foods it came about that they never desired anything else that to have their fill of bread and simple things so that when the poor fellows were hunger they cared about no other food than bread. Therefore those servants of God said, “In order not to desire fine foods it is necessary not to satisfy our hunger with the simple foods. For every time these come to us in overabundant surplus, like idlers we will seek out meat and other tasty foods. Since in the beginning they did not have gardens and there were few friaries. Therefore sometimes when they wanted to eat herbs they begged for them or sought out the wild herbs in the fields. When they arrived at the friary carrying the herbs everyone assembled with great joy. Then they all ate it together from a big plate or from a basin. They all drank from one bowl. Many of them always wept because of the great sweetness that they felt in their hearts when they saw themselves like poor men each taking what he needed with such charity and fraternal affection and simplicity.

Many times, because there was little bread, they gave pieces to one another and said, “Eat this. You need it more than I.” This loving and holy competition sometimes lasted a good while and in the end many of the pieces were left. Such was the great love they had. Quite often they all ate in a circle on the floor with the food in the centre. They said that it was the custom of the Holy Apostles to eat at a round table with the Saviour of the world. The put the Guardian in the middle because he represented Christ for them. Often when fresh fruit came the Father Guardian called everyone and with great charity he recreated with his sons.

Wherever one turned, one saw nothing except things that spurred one on in the spirit. These things looked like the customs of the ancient Fathers.