St. Francis reprimanded the brothers for having prepared a table with too much abundance on Christmas Day

Source: Google Books

Upon the arrival of a provincial minister, the brothers of the convent of Rieti had prepared the table better than usual, and on the day of the Nativity of Jesus Christ they had served with a little more abundance; he reproved them severely and said to them:

“What! On the day when Jesus Christ is born poor, you depart from poverty! Remember that on this day the Blessed Virgin scarcely had a piece of bread to eat, and that the Master of the world found for His cradle a manger used by animals. Imitate the poverty of the Mother, and remember the sighs of the Child.”