Here we present another in our series of articles about how the saints can help us overcome vice and practice virtue, guided by Edwige Billot, author of a recent book about guidance from the saints on how to handle our emotions (published in French: “Et si les saints nous coachaient sur nos émotions?”).
Procrastination, sloth, laziness ... These are temptations that are familiar to us, and that need to be fought. Indeed, for St. Paul, laziness is a sin against charity.
"By not doing what could be expected of us, we hurt others and ourselves, since we do not use our talents," says Edwige Billot. Moreover, idleness is dangerous insofar as it facilitates temptations.
"Idleness is the mother of all vices," warns popular wisdom. And that’s not the only source that issues us such a warning. The Scriptures don’t mince their words:
St. Paul isn’t any softer on lazy people who shirk their duty while enjoying diversions:
St. Jerome, a doctor of the Church and translator of the Bible into Latin in the 5th century, spoke of the evils of laziness and the importance of keeping busy. In a letter to Rustics (125), he says,
To this end, he recommends an infallible remedy for not falling into temptations linked to idleness: Remain in action at all times, so the devil doesn't have the chance to snatch an idle moment. "Live in such a way that the devil will always find you busy," he writes.
If we are busy doing good, then we are less available to the solicitations of evil. It's advice we can take to heart today, too.
