39. Vita 22 (Geerlings, 68–70); trans. Muller and Deferrari, FC 15:99–100.
Eating Dinner with Augustine
Possidius lived in Augustine's monastery for years and observed him at close range. In this passage, he describes Augustine's lifestyle and dinner habits. From Possidius of Calama, Life of Saint Augustine:
(22) His clothing and footwear, and even Augustine's house furnishings, were modest yet adequate, neither luxurious nor too plain. In such matters, men have the habit either of arrogantly displaying or degrading themselves; in either case "seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ" (Phil 2:21). Augustine, however, as I have said, held the middle course, deviating neither to the right nor to the left. His table was frugal and sparing, although, indeed, it sometimes included meats, herbs, and vegetables, out of consideration for guests or the sick. Moreover, he always had wine, because he knew and taught, as the Apostle says, "everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (1 Tm 4:4–5). . . . Only his spoons were of silver, but the vessels in which food was served were earthen, wooden, or marble; this was not by force of necessity, but from Augustine's own choice. Moreover, he always showed hospitality. At the table itself he preferred reading and discussion to mere eating and drinking, and against the pestilence of human nature he had the following inscription carved on his table: "Whoever slanders the name of an absent friend/May not as guest at this table attend." Thus he warned every guest to refrain from unnecessary and harmful tales. When, on one occasion, some of his closest fellow bishops forgot that warning and spoke carelessly, Augustine became exasperated and sharply rebuked them, declaring that either those verses should be removed from the table or that he would leave in the middle of the meal and go to his room. Both I and others who were at the table experienced this.39
A Poor Man of Poor Parents
In the passage above, Possidius mentions that Augustine dressed simply. In the following sermon, Augustine talks to his congregation about what happened when people donated expensive clothes to him. From Sermon 356:
(13) Whatever you willingly want to donate, donate it to us all. What's held in common will be distributed to each as each has need. Put it in the collection box, and we will all have it. It pleases me very, very much to think of that box as a sort of feeding trough for us, that we may be God's beasts of bur-
39. Vita 22 (Geerlings, 68–70); trans. Muller and Deferrari, FC 15:99–100.