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  "work": {
    "slug": "suso",
    "name": "Heinrich Suso"
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      "slug": "rhineland-mystics",
      "name": "Rhineland Mystics",
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 10,
    "slug": "vol-1-09-chapter-ix",
    "title": "Chapter  IX.",
    "of": 51,
    "words": 767,
    "text": "## Chapter  IX.\n\nOf  the  way  in  which  he  went  to  table. \n\nWhen  the  time  came  for  him  to  go  to  table, \nhe  used  to  kneel  down  in  loving  contemplation \nbefore  the  Eternal  Wisdom,  and  beseech  Him \nvery  earnestly  to  go  with  him  to  table  and  eat \nwith  him,  saying: — Most  sweet  Jesus  Christ, \nI  invite  Thee  with  the  longing  desire  of  my \nheart,  and  I  pray  Thee,  even  as  Thou  dost \nbountifully  feed  me,  to  grant  me  also  to-day \nThy  gentle  presence.  Then,  on  sitting  down \nto  table,  he  would  place  opposite  to  him,  as  his \ntable-companion,  the  dear  guest  of  pure  souls, \nand  he  would  look  at  Him  very  tenderly,  and \noften  bow  himself  towards  Him  on  the  side  of \nHis  heart.  At  each  course  that  was  set  before \nhim,  he  used  to  lift  up  the  plate  towards  his \nDivine  host,  that  He  might  give  His  holy  bless- \ning to  it,  and  he  would  often  say  to  Him,  with \na  loving  familiarity : — O  my  Lord,  bless  what \nis  before  us,  and  eat  with  Thy  servant.  Such \nwere  the  words  of  tenderness  with  which  he; \nwould  address  Him.  Again,  before  he  drank \nhe  would  lift  up  the  goblet  and  ask  Him  to \ndrink  first  of  it.  At  table  he  used  to  drink  five \ndraughts,  and  he  drank  them  out  of  the  five \nD \n\n\n34  LIFE  OF  BLESSED  HENRY  SUSO. \n\nwounds  of  his  dear  Lord;  and  because  water \nand  blood  flowed  from  the  Divine  side,  he  drank \nthe  last  draught  in  two.  He  ate  the  first  and \nthe  last  mouthful  in  union  with  the  love  of  the \nmost  loving  heart  which  earth  could  possibly \nproduce,  and  with  the  hottest  love  of  the  high- \nest of  the  seraphim,  desiring  the  while  that  his \nheart  might  have  a  full  share  in  this  love.  He \nused  to  dip  the  food  which  he  disliked  into  the \nwounded  heart  of  his  beloved,  in  firm  trust  that \nit  could  then  no  longer  hurt  him. \n\nHe  had  a  fondness  for  fruit,  but  God  would \nnot  let  him  indulge  it.  He  had  once  a  vision,  in \nwhich  it  seemed  to  him  that  some  one  offered \nhim  an  apple,  saying: — Take  this;  it  is  what \nthou  art  so  fond  of.  He  answered : — Nay !  all \nmy  fondness  is  for  the  lovely  Eternal  Wisdom. \nThe  other  replied  to  him  that  this  was  not  true, \nseeing  that  he  took  too  much  delight  in  fruit. \nThis  made  him  feel  ashamed  of  himself,  and \nfor  two  years  he  ate  no  more  fruit,  much  though \nhe  longed  for  it  all  the  time.  When  the  two \nyears  were  ended,  and  the  next  year  the  fruit \ncrop  had  failed,  so  that  the  convent  was  with- \nout any,  the  Servitor,  having  now  after  many \ncombats  gained  the  mastery  over  himself,  and \nwishing  to  be  no  longer  singular  at  table  about \n\n\nHIS  BEHAVIOUR  AT  TABLE.  35 \n\nfruit,  besought  Almighty  God,  if  it  was  His  will \nthat  he  should  eat  fruit,  to  supply  the  whole  con- \nvent with  it.  And  it  came  to  pass  accordingly ; \nfor  when  it  was  morning,  an  unknown  person \narrived  with  a  large  quantity  of  new  pennies \nfor  the  convent,  and  desired  that  fresh  apples \nmight  be  bought  up  every  where  with  them. \nThis  was  done,  and  thus  the  convent  had  fruit \nenough  for  a  long  time,  and  the  Servitor  began \nagain  to  eat  fruit  with  thankfulness. \n\nHe  used  to  divide  the  large  fruit  into  four \nparts ;  three  of  which  he  ate  in  the  Name  of  the \nHoly  Trinity,  and  the  fourth  in  union  with  the \nlove  with  which  the  heavenly  Mother  gave  her \ngentle  child  Jesus  a  little  apple  to  eat.  This \nlast  part  he  ate  without  cutting  it,  because  little \nchildren  usually  eat  it  in  this  way,  uncut.  From \nChristmas  Day,  for  many  days  following,  he  did \nnot  eat  the  fourth  part,  but  he  offered  it  in  con- \ntemplation to  the  gentle  Mother,  praying  her  to \ngive  it  to  her  dear  little  Son,  for  whose  sake  he \nwould  meanwhile  go  without  it. \n\nIf  sometimes  he  began  eating  or  drinking \ntoo  eagerly,  the  presence  of  his  venerable  com- \npanion would  make  him  ashamed  of  himself, \nand  he  would  give  himself  a  penance  for  it. \n\nOnce  there  came  to  him  from  another  city \n\n\n36  LIFE  OF  BLESSED  HENRY  SUSO. \n\na  good  person,  who  told  him  that  God  had  said \nthese  words  to  him  in  a  vision  : — If  thou  would- \nest  learn  how  to  conduct  thyself  at  table  as  is \nmeet,  go  to  my  Servitor  and  bid  him  tell  thee  all \nhis  ways.",
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  }
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