h
measure that they grieve him not, but that through them, he may serve
GOD better. Therefore S. John bids:--"Ever when thou eatest, ever hunger
thou, that after meat thou mayst read and pray and serve GOD better."

Holy men who have been before us enjoyed strong sharp meat, more to
abate hunger than for pleasure. Some lived by grass, some by roots, some
by spices and herbs and fruit that the earth bore; and in whatso they
ate they destroyed all taste that might stir them to pleasure. Also, S.
Germanus mixed ashes with his bread, that he should feel no pleasure in
his meat-time. Other sauce than hunger, they took none. S. Gregory says:
"bread made of bran and water, with cold or other simple pottage is good
food to the well-taught stomach, with sauce of GOD'S love if he have it
therewith: without this sauce, no sustenance has savour that man
enjoys." Some eat no meat before the night; some only every other day;
some fast three days together. Machari fasted all the Lenten-tide, save
Sundays, and ate naught but raw leaves. Some take no heed when they eat,
nor what they eat, flesh or fish: all tasted alike to them, so that
afterwards, they wist not what they ate. Some, when they were set down
to meat, and meat was brought before them, they forgot to eat, for so
they spent the day and the night in holy speech, that they thought of
naught else, till the undern-tide[8] of the second day, so that the
brethren came to them and asked why they could not eat: and then, for
the first time, thought they of meat, and they ate then as they thought
good, in GOD'S holy fear. When thou art set to thy meat, make before
thee a cross on the board with five crumbs to stir thee up to think on
Him who died for thee on the Cross; and think, here lies His head that
was crowned with thorns, there His hands, there His feet that were
nailed full fast; there was His sweet side that was opened with the
spear, from which came both blood and water to heal my dirty wounds.
When thou hast so done if thou canst, take part of thy bread and of thy
fish, and lay it by itself, and say thus quietly in thine heart, "Lord,
what wilt Thou give me for this pittance I make to Thee? how many
tears, how many love-yearnings and longings after Thee? how many
comforts of the Holy Ghost, how many stirrings to good things, how many
lookings towards me with Thy lovely eyes? Lord, wilt Thou for this meat
that the poor hungry man shall have for Thy sake, give me the love of