The Rule of Life

21 be able to mitigate, in the fear of the Lord, this norm in consider- ation of persons, places and times, both in quantity as in quality. 3. Besides the church’s fasts and those customary in the region, you will observe the following: vigils of the seven feasts of Our Lady, and of the Saints Michael the Archangel, Joseph, Stanislaus 15 and Anna, with one meal or by limiting yourselves to bread and water. Also, you will use lenten foods, according to the custom of the place, from the feast of St. Martin to the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, and from the octave of the Immaculate Conception to the so- lemnity of Christmas. While you will hard press the body by abstaining from food, try all the more to abstain from vices. One fasts in a disorderly way if he is hard pressing the body while he neglects the spirit. Nor is food fruitfully taken away from the body unless the mind is recalled from evil. 4. Because softness of garment incites not only pride, but also lust, you, as hermits, will wear clothing from the most sim- ple, rougher and thicker material: You will wear a habit stretch- ing to the ankles – not one which trails on the ground or shows the ankles too much – and a short mantle reaching to the knees, and a shirt from coarse linen or some other stinging material. All of these will be white in color 16 , in honor of the pure Conception of our Lady, and the greatest cleanliness of them should be observed, because dirty poverty can please no one. 14 By the first half of the 18 th century, the practice of weekly recreation was introduced, but the General Chapter of 1754 restored the original observance: one day of recreation per month. 15 This is not a reference to Stanislaus Kostka, S.J., who was only can- onized in 1714, but to Stanislaus, bishop and martyr (d. 1079), the prin- cipal patron of Poland and patron of the Servant of God. His feast is cel- ebrated in Poland on May 8. 16 Thus the white habit was designed by Fr. Stanislaus for the Marians as one of the means by which they were propagating the devotion to the Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Later, he said: “I assumed the white ha- bit in honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary“ (cf. Positio . p. 495). Strangely enough, the 1687 version of the Rule of Life gives a different significance of the white color of the Marians’ clothing, namely: “in honor of Our Lord mocked [ridiculed?] by Herod.”