Modest Relaxation

Modest Relaxation.—(a) The Virtue.—Just as the body fatigued by manual labor demands the refreshment of sleep and the recuperation afforded by vacations or by intermissions of work, so also the mind cannot be healthy or active unless from time to time it is relieved by some kind of amusement or diversion. The desire for recreation is, therefore, one of the chief inclinations of man, and there is special need of its temperate management by right reason. The person who prudently provides for pastimes and pleasures as a part of his life has the virtue which Aristotle called eutrapelia (good wit, urbanity), and which St. Thomas named gaiety or pleasantness.

(b) The Sin of Excess.—Relaxation is excessive in various ways. Sometimes the entertainment itself is improper (e.g., obscene comedies, scandalous dances, unjust games of chance). Sometimes the disposition of the person himself is sinful (e.g., those who make recreation the chief occupation of life, Wis., xv. 12; those who recreate only for pleasure, or who enjoy themselves uproariously). Sometimes the circumstances make an amusement unsuitable, such as the person (e.g., when a man of dignity belittles himself by acting as clown, when a female takes part in sports unsuited to her sex), or the time (e.g., when the hours that should be given to divine services, or to study or other Work, are spent in golfing or fishing; when Good Friday or a day of bereavement or penance is chosen for a ball or picnic), or the place (eg, when a church is used for sports or farces), or the quality (e.g., when the Scriptures or other sacred things are caricatured or parodied), or the quantity (e.g., when one spends so much on theatres, automobiles, trips and other enjoyments that one has nothing left for duties of justice, charity or religion; when health is injured by violent games).

(b) The Sin of Defect.—Those persons offend here who deprive themselves of necessary relaxation (e.g., misers who fear to take a holiday or go on an outing lest they lose some money), or who interfere with the recreation of others (e.g., killjoys who wish to see others miserable, fanatics who believe that all fun is of the devil). Those who have little sense of humor or who suffer much may be excused to some extent if they never laugh, but at least they should try to look pleasant at times, or at least not frown on innocent happiness.

Gravity of the Sins Opposed to Moderate Enjoyment.—(a) The Absolute Gravity.—The sins just mentioned are mortal or venial according to the character of what is done and the circumstances. Thus, it is a mortal sin to find recreation in wild revelry and debauchery, or to drive one’s children to the devil by forbidding them necessary diversion; it is a venial sin to spend a little too much time at the card table or to work rather too hard.

(b) The Comparative Gravity.—It is worse to relax too much than too little, for amusement is not taken for its own sake, but is subordinated to serious things. Just as it is more senseless to take too much salt or other relish in food than to take too little, because the salt is secondary, so it is more foolish to play too much than too little.

AS modesty in keeping measure consists chiefly in externals, as D. August. teaches, de vita beata, disp. 3. cited by D. Bonavent. lib. 2. Pharetra, cap. 41. so in excess, posture, habit, and in all your movements let nothing be done that offends anyone's aspect, as D. August. says, reg. 3. cap. 20. cited by the holy Doctor.

Whence D. Ambrosius loco citato, de offic. cap. 18. cited by the holy Doctor there, says: Nor do I think it becoming to walk in haste, unless the cause of some danger, or just necessity, requires it.

And D. Isidorus in synon, cap. 9. there. Professio nem tuam habitu, et incessu demonstra. Sit in gressu tuo simplicitas, in motu puritas, in gestu gravitas, in incessu honestas. [Show your profession by habit and gait. Let there be simplicity in your step, purity in your movement, gravity in your gesture, honesty in your walking.] The reason is, because as the exterior members pertain to the physical integrity of man, and are moved according to the command of the will; so too to moral perfection it pertains to order rightly the movements of the same, both that they befit the person acting, and that they be suited also to business and places, as Tannerus argues disp. 3. quaest. 3. dub. 8. num. 211. from D. Bonavent. in speculo disciplinae ad novitios, part. 1. cap. 19. et seq.

Concerning words, sin occurs in foolish talking, in jests, and in jocose words.

This indeed is that ignorance and flux of words which is dangerous, according to Prov. 10. In multiloquio non deerit peccatum. [In much talking sin will not be wanting.] Of this Isidorus in synon. cap. 9. multiloquium non declinat peccatum, sinuosus enim exundans cito colligit lutum, and there: loqui multum, stultitia est, et vox insipientis in multiplicatio ne sermonis.

D. Gregory, homil. 12. in Ezech. It is exceedingly difficult that he who speaks many things should not also lie.

The same in Pastorali, part. 3. admonit. 15. and lib. 7. Moral. cap. 17. Because it has not the wall of silence, the city of the mind lies open to the darts of the enemy; and when by many words it casts itself outside itself, it offers itself wholly open to the adversary, who overcomes it so much the more without labor, as it, though conquered, fights against itself by much talking. In Proverbs it is said, as a city open, and without the circuit of walls, so is a man who cannot restrain his spirit in speaking.

The same lib. 10. Moral. cap. 2. It is certain that a wordy man cannot be justified.

The same lib. 7. cap. 17. The justice of the mind is desolated when no sparing is had of immoderate speech.

These things the holy Doctor has, Pharetrae lib. 3. cap. 3.

Of foolish talking the holy Doctor has much there from the holy Fathers, where he also has that golden sentence of D. Gregory, lib. 2. Moral. cap. 7. Among men the heart is weighed from words, but before God words are weighed from the heart.

The same D. Gregory, lib. 16. cap. 1. They who know not how to measure their words, without doubt slip into idle sayings: in which, if they do not at all reprehend themselves, they at once spring forward to harmful and contumelious ones.

The same lib. 3. Dialog. cap. 5. It comes about from speaking with seculars that we pass from idle things to harmful, from light to graver. See the holy Doctor loco citato Pharetrae.

These things are simply venial, as St. Bonavent. notes, in speculo animae, cap. 3. §. Circa inhonestatem in gestu; and they are reprehended by Paul to the Ephesians, saying that such things ought neither to be, nor to be named among us.

These, however, are to be weighed from the affection, he says, according to the rule of D. Gregory cited above, or according to the scandal of the person, insofar as they incite to evil, and are said with such intention, they can be mortal, he says; and thus he asserts of songs, choruses, and plays.

Hence he gravely gathers that actors, dancers, and jesters, who allure to pleasures by dishonest words and deeds, that they may extort money, are not in a state of salvation; and such were also the ancient spectacles, which Chrysostomus homil. 6. in matth. and other Fathers condemn, as Tannerus notes, disp. 3. quaest. 3. dub. 8. num. 216.

Hence the holy Doctor gathers from D. Augustine, tract. 110. in Ioannem, that it is sin to give money to these men and to be present at their comedies; yet he does not condemn it as mortal, if they are heard out of curiosity without danger of consent, even if the things are base.

Bonacina consents, de Matrim. quaest. 4. puncto 9. num. 22. Squillante, de oblig. Cler. part. 2. num. 45. Sanchez de Matrim. lib. 9. disp. 47. num. 41. Alphonsus de Mendoza, quaest. 9. positio. num. 11. fol. 607. Rodrig. Summa, tom. 3. cap. 71. Salas prim. 2. tom. 2. tract. 13. disp. 6. sect. 24. num. 165. Lorca prim. 2. tom. 2. disp. 28. de peccatis, membro 3. who puts the condition, provided the pleasure stops in the representation, and does not pass over to the thing represented. Azorius subscribes to these parte 3. lib. 5. cap. 27. quaestio. 7.

They hold, consequently, that it holds good even as to Clerics, who do not sin mortally, scandal ceasing, which now has been taken away like rust; for Clerics are frequently present at Comedies. But that they are prohibited C. Clerici 2. de vita, et honest. Cler. Diana says, parte 2. Tract. 27. resol. 35. does not oblige under mortal sin, with Cajetan, verbo Clericorum peccata. Nay, they say this has been abrogated by custom — Sanchez, Rodriguez, Salas, Bonacina, and Squilante, above.

I, however, with Diana assert these things to be dangerous, nor easily to be conceded. Therefore also Comitol. resp. Moral. lib. 5. quaest. 21. condemns it with mortal sin; and the matter reduced to practice, I judge it to be always in danger, as appears from the confession of those who are present, who always retire defiled.

Concerning immodesty in games, the holy Doctor supposes, loco citato Speculi animae, that honest and moderate games are reduced to Eutrapelia with Aristotle, 4. Eth. cap. 8. The reason is, because relaxation of the mind is necessary to man from labors and occupations, as D. Thom. also teaches, quaest. 168. art. 2. For as the fatigue of the body is recreated by its rest, so also the fatigue of the mind by its rest.

He admonishes, however, that excess in these can be, either from intention, and then such also is the work; or it can be evil by reason of scandal, as if a Religious person, or one placed as an example, should lead choruses and dances; Or perhaps if these were exercised on Parasceve. Three things, therefore, are necessary, that this relaxation be not perverse.

FIRST, that nothing base be sought in games or jests.

SECOND, that the gravity of the mind be not altogether dissolved, nor be poured out too much in jests, as Ambrose admonishes, lib. I. de offic. cap. 20. where he says: Let us beware, lest while we wish to relax the mind, we dissolve all harmony, as it were a certain concord of good works. And Cicero lib. I. de offic. As we do not grant to boys every license of playing, but that which is not alien from honest actions, so in jest itself let some light of a good nature shine forth; not that you be the more dissolved, as the holy Doctor admonishes. loco citato Pharetrae ex Patribus.

THIRD, that it befit the person, place, and time, as Cicero admonishes, loco citato.

THERE is granted, however, also that vice which I call Saturnine, opposed in the other extreme, as the holy Doctor teaches. locis adductis, whereby some are willing neither to speak nor to hear anything urbane.