that during the week they lead an innocent, and, if their consciences are pure and they make the good intention, a holy life. When, I ask again, do they commit those grievous sins? Is it not true—and I take those people themselves to witness the truth of this, if there are any of them here present—is it not true that generally and for the most part those sins are committed on Sundays and holy-days, when there is no work to do, or to speak more correctly, when those people wilfully refuse to occupy themselves with the divine service and practices of piety? Then the devil has his chance with them; then the peasant men and women meet; then servant men and maids stand at the door, and often talk and chat about things that should not enter their minds, and see and hear what they should never know anything of; then tradesmen go to the ale-house and indulge in drinking, gambling, quarreling, dissolute conversation, and other amusements of a similar character, and very often the Sunday’s revels leave the head in such a state that the Monday following is still worse. With reason therefore did that parish priest say of his people: On week-days my people are pious angels; on Sundays and holy-days there are many of them like demons in their dissolute conduct.
What sin must not then be committed by those who are always idle.
From this I draw the following conclusion: If one Sunday or holy-day in the week can cause so much mischief on account of idleness amongst people who are otherwise good, humble, simple, and well-meaning towards God, so that for months afterwards they labor hard, but gain nothing for heaven because they are in mortal sin: how much evil then will not idleness teach those who make a holy-day of every day in the year, and who lead idle, lazy, luxurious lives? How much mischief can it not teach young men who have nothing to do the whole day but to seek for some means of passing the time! How much evil can it not teach young girls who spend the day before the glass, or looking out of the window to see the passers-by! How much harm can it not do to people of both sexes who, on account of the wealth and prosperity that God has given them, can spend their time doing nothing, and wasting their lives away in idle amusements and follies! How many young students (ah, how I deplore the state of their precious souls!) who bring back with them their baptismal innocence which they have preserved during the scholastic year, only to lose it during the idleness and freedom of the holidays! If one month of the year can do so