Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/239

 tite. In what  is  it  to  be  mortified? St. Bonaventure answers: "In  the  quantity,  the  quality,  and  the  manner."

I. In  the  quality,  adds  the  saint,  by  seeking  not  what is delicate,  but  what  is  simple. The saint  says,  in another  place,  that  small  is  the  progress  of  the  religious who  is  not  content  with  what  is  offered  to  her,  but requires that  it  be  prepared  in  a  different  manner,  or seeks  more  palatable  food. A mortified  religious  is satisfied  with  what  is  placed  before  her;  and  instead  of seeking  after  delicacies,  she  selects  among  all  the  dishes that may  be  presented  to  her,  the  least  palatable,  provided it  be  not  prejudicial  to  health. Such was  the practice of  St.  Aloysius,  who  always  chose  what  was  most disagreeable to  the  taste.

"Wine and  flesh,"  says  Clement  of  Alexandria,  "give strength  indeed  to  the  body,  but  they  render  the  soul languid." From the  sacred  Canons  we  learn  that  formerly monks  were  not  permitted  even  to  taste  flesh. "To a  monk,  the  privilege  of  either,  taking  or  of  tasting flesh  is  not  granted." Speaking of  himself,  St. Bernard  says:  "I  abstain  from  flesh,  lest  I  should cherish  the  vices  of  the  flesh." Give not  wine  takings, says the  Wise  Man."  By  kings,  in  this  place,  we  are  to understand,  not  the  monarchs  of  the  earth,  but  the servants  of  God,  who  rule  their  wicked  passions  and subject  them  to  reason.  In  another  place  Solomon says:  Who  hath  woe?  .  .  .  Surely  they  that  pass  their  time in  wine,  and  study  to  drink  off  their  cups?     Since,  then,  the