Chapter XVI: Of Working on Sunday

WE are required to abstain from servile or hard labor, that is to say, from labor of the hands, and to assist at least once at the Holy Mass on the Sunday. But we must understand what is meant by being forbidden to work on that day. Necessary work, such as belongs to the good order of the house — cooking, making beds, sweeping, and putting things in order — is not forbidden.

The care of the sick is a necessary and charitable work. Sometimes, unless work is done, valuable property would go to destruction. In all these cases work must be done; and it would be displeasing to God should you refuse to do it on the plea that it is wrong to work on the Sunday.

Indeed, as a general rule, for those who live out, the mistress of the house is a proper judge of what is necessary and what not. She knows many reasons that you do not know, and it is not proper to make her give an account of everything to those in her employment. That would be upsetting the order of things that the Lord has established when He says: “Servants, be obedient unto your masters according to the flesh” (Eph. vi. 5).

So, if anything of no very great importance comes up, do it cheerfully; and, depend upon it, the responsibility will not be on your shoulders. On the contrary, the Lord will look on your mild and peaceable disposition, free from all strife and contention, so much like His own, and reward it with special graces.

It is quite another thing when you put off your own work until Sunday. This depends on your own will; and therefore you, and not any one else, will have to answer for it. To devote Sunday to making up articles of dress, or to a general mending of clothes, is very wrong.

And even if you live in the country, where you cannot attend Mass, the case is not altered; for the command, “Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work,” applies as well to such cases as to any others. The day everywhere is intended to be devoted to the service of God, and not to work.

But suppose your employer has no sense of what is proper; makes no distinction between Sunday and another day; loads you down with work that, it is clear, could as well be done another day: what is to be done in that case?

Keep quiet, do not fly into a rage, but quietly look around for another place. It may be that, if you spoke about it quietly and without passion, it would be set right; but if not, look out for another place, where the Lord’s day is respected, and when you have found one, give notice peaceably and quietly of your intention to leave.

Perhaps the employer may ask the reason. Do not let your feelings get the upper hand, but tell them with the utmost calmness that your religion requires you to avoid unnecessary work on the Sunday; that you find so little regard paid to God’s commandment in regard to this, that you cannot remain longer. Who knows but that such a mild and firm answer may produce a happy change, and take away the difficulty? If so, the next girl who comes into their service will not be troubled in the same way.

I need say no more about labor on Sundays, for your own good sense and, more than all, the light of the Holy Ghost, which is given to all who sincerely ask it, must direct you as to the rest.