Chapter Thirty-Five
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
On the Weekly Servers in the Kitchen
LET THE brethren serve each other so that no one be excused from the work in the kitchen, except on account of sickness or his attending to some important task. For then, greater merit and more charity will be acquired. Help should be given to the weak, however, so that they may do this work out sadness; the size of the community and the circumstances of the place will, of course, dictate the level of help. If the community is large, let the Cellarer be excused from the kitchen, or if, as we have said, any are engaged in more urgent work; let the rest serve each other in charity.
Let him who is to rotate out of the weekly service, do the cleaning on Saturday. Let him wash the towels with which the brethren wipe their hands and feet. Let the outgoing brother as well as the one just starting wash the feet of all. Let the outgoing brother return the utensils of his service to the Cellarer clean and in good condition. Let the Cellarer give the same to the incoming brother taking stock what he gives out and what he receives back.
An hour before meal time let the weekly servers each receive a drink and a piece of bread over the prescribed portion. In this way, they may serve their brethren at meal time without murmuring or undue strain. On solemn feast days, however, let them abstain until after Mass.
As soon as the morning Office on Sunday is ended, let the incoming and outgoing servers of the week cast themselves upon their knees in the oratory before all, asking their prayers. Let him who is rotating out of the weekly service, say the following verse: Benedictus es, Domine Deus, qui adjuvisti me et consolatus es me. (Dan. 3:52; Ps. 85:17; Ps. 86:17, Vulg.). The one rotating out says this three times and receives the blessing, and then the one who is starting should say: Deus in adjutorium meum intende; Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. (Ps. 69:2; 70:2, Vulg.). And let this also be repeated three times by all. After he has been blesssed let him enter upon his weekly service.