Latin Mass Society

Author: Anthony Perlas

  • Chapter Three: The Right to Labour

    Chapter Three: The Right to Labour

    In the beginning God gave man dominion over the works of His hands (Genesis 1:28).
    This dominion is not tyranny over creation, but stewardship; and the first stewardship is labour itself.
    Therefore every man, woman, and child capable of work hath a sacred right to labour, and every society that denieth this right offendeth the Creator.

    St Basil the Great (†379), in his homily on the words “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,” declareth:
    “Work is the natural law of man; to take it away is to take away his dignity and to make him a slave.”

    St John Chrysostom (†407) teacheth:
    “Idleness is the mother of all vices. He who doth not work neither hath the right to eat.”

    The early councils of the Church (Elvira 306, Ancyra 314, Gangra 340) condemned those who, under pretext of false asceticism, refused to labour, and commanded them to work or be excommunicated.

    Thus the right to labour is threefold:

    1. The Right to Useful Work
      No man should be condemned to meaningless toil or to the production of vanities.
      The worker hath the right to know that his labour serveth God and neighbour, even if he sweepeth streets or carrieth burdens.
    2. The Right to Just Compensation
      “The labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7; 1 Timothy 5:18).
      St Clement of Alexandria (†215) and St Ambrose (†397) condemned the rich who paid starvation wages, saying:
      “To withhold the wage of the poor is to steal from God Himself.”
    3. The Right to Rest and Contemplation
      God rested on the seventh day and sanctified it (Genesis 2:2-3).
      The Church from the beginning commanded the observance of the Lord’s Day, that man might raise his mind from creatures to the Creator.
      St Augustine (†430) writeth:
      “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.”
      Without this rest, labour becometh slavery.

    Woe to the ruler, the merchant, or the master who robbeth man of this threefold right.
    He buildeth not a city, but a prison; not prosperity, but the wrath of God.

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  • Chapter Two: The Anatomy of Confusion in Labour

    Chapter Two: The Anatomy of Confusion in Labour

    As I have dissected the sinews and veins of the human frame, finding therein the hidden order of the Creator, so must we dissect the confusion that afflicts the worker, lest he perish in darkness.

    Confusion ariseth not from the labour itself (for work was given unto Adam before the Fall, that he might dress the garden), but from the disorder introduced by sin and its three daughters: ignorance, distraction, and loss of purpose.

    1. Ignorance of the End
      Man laboureth without knowing why.
      St Thomas Aquinas (†1274) teacheth that every act must be ordered to its final end, which is God (Summa Theologiae I-II, q.1, a.8).
      When the worker seeth only the paycheck and not the glory of God or the common good, his toil becometh a wheel of Ixion, endless and fruitless.
    2. Distraction of the Senses
      The eye wandereth after vanities (television, gossip, drink), the ear after flattery, the hand after idleness.
      St Gregory the Great (†604) warneth: “The mind that is too scattered cannot contemplate truth.”
      Thus the worker, though surrounded by tools, seeth them not; though commanded, he heareth not; though tasked, he performeth not.
    3. Loss of Purpose
      The devil persuadeth man that labour is meaningless, that the world is chaos, and that nothing he buildeth shall endure.
      Yet Scripture proclaimeth the contrary: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10), for every honest work, even the sweeping of a floor, is a participation in the creative act of God.

    The remedy is threefold, drawn from the Fathers and the sacred page:

    • Order thy day as the monks ordered theirs: prayer, work, study, rest.
      St Benedict (†547) ordained eight hours of labour that the monk might “truly seek God.”
    • Fix thine attention upon the task at hand, as the arrow upon the mark.
      St John Climacus (†649) saith: “Attention is the beginning of contemplation.”
    • Offer each act to God, for “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

    He who thus laboureth walketh in light; he who laboureth without these three walketh in the shadow of death.

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  • A Treatise on the Labours of Man: Observations Drawn from the Divine Order of Creation

    A Treatise on the Labours of Man: Observations Drawn from the Divine Order of Creation

    In this discourse, wherein I have contemplated the intricate mechanisms of the human frame and the vast architecture of the cosmos, I turn my gaze to the noble pursuit of labour, which is the very sinew of earthly existence. As the Almighty hath ordained from the dawn of time, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:19), so labour is not a curse but a path to sanctity, provided it be ordered aright. Thy security in this vale of tears, both temporal and eternal, is of utmost concern to me, for as the Apostle saith, “Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called” (1 Corinthians 7:20), guiding us toward the heavenly Jerusalem through diligent toil.

    Yet in a world shadowed by confusion and moral decay, where the slothful devour the fruits of the just (Proverbs 10:3), one must seek a wisdom rooted in the eternal verities. Happiness in labour ariseth not from fleeting fortunes but from union with the Creator, as St. Basil the Great (†379) teacheth: “Work is a duty imposed by God upon man.” To aid thy brethren in their vocations, inscribe their name upon this volume, and thine own beneath, as a bond of fraternal charity. Present it unto them with fervent exhortation to study its precepts, for as Proverbs counseleth, “In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury” (Proverbs 14:23).

    Should obscurities arise in these terms, consult the Sacred Scriptures or the glosses of the Fathers, lest discord spring from ignorance, as in the confusion of tongues at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Thus, by disseminating this light, thou fortifiest not only thine own vocation but extendest the reign of virtue, as Christ commandeth: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

    Why This Treatise is Given Unto Thee

    Thy eternal salvation and earthly prosperity are precious to me, for as the Law proclaimeth, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39). True felicity in toil, that serene contentment amidst exertion, eludeth those ensnared in idleness or vice, for “An idle soul shall suffer hunger” (Proverbs 19:15). In a society rife with falsehood and iniquity, where the wicked prosper like the green bay tree but only for a season (Psalm 37:35), diligence demandeth vigilance against the snares of the adversary.

    Observe how the body, that wondrous edifice designed by the Divine Architect, faltereth when beset by the misconduct of others—be it envy, deceit, or sloth. Such ills not only weary the flesh but corrode the soul, turning vocation to drudgery. Yet thou art called to edify thy fellows, as salt preserveth and light illumineth (Matthew 5:13-14). By exemplifying virtue in thy labours, thou upliftest their paths, and thine own, toward the celestial reward where “they shall rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Revelation 14:13).

    Chapter One: On Security in Labour

    What availeth the holding of a vocation? Doth it rest upon lineage, acquaintance, charm, fortune, learning, diligence, zeal, wit, or innate capacity? To one seasoned in the observatories of human endeavour, the former seem predominant, whilst the young cling to illusions of merit. Yet, as I have dissected the forms of nature, finding therein no chaos but divine proportion, so too in labour: true security lieth not in accidents but in providence.

    Familial ties, though oft a ladder to preferment, are but the accident of birth, as St. Augustine (†430) observeth: “We are all born equal in Adam’s sin.” Acquaintance and favour, whilst opening doors, are fleeting, for “A man’s gift maketh room for him” (Proverbs 18:16), yet without virtue, it leadeth to ruin. Charm and fortune are vanities: “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain” (Proverbs 31:30).

    Nay, security floweth from divine ordinance: “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” (Proverbs 16:3). The diligent soul findeth rest, for “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat” (Proverbs 13:4). St. Basil (†379) teacheth that labour is the guardian of innocence, warding off the tempter’s snares.

    Yet in this fallen world, insecurity beseteth the worker: illness, slander, age. These are the thorns of Eden’s curse (Genesis 3:18). The remedy? Trust in the Lord: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6). Governments and masters, ordained by God (Romans 13:1), owe just wages and protection, as the Council of Ancyra (314 AD) decreed fair treatment for labourers.

    Thus, security is not in man’s grasp alone but in God’s: “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” (Psalm 127:1).

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  • 19. Flourish and Prosper in the Grace of God

    19. Flourish and Prosper in the Grace of God

    The world and the devil will ever seek to crush the children of light.
    They will mock thy faith, scorn thy virtue, and labour to reduce thee to despair.
    Yet hear the word of the Lord:

    “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

    St Benedict (†547) taught his monks:
    “Let them prefer nothing whatever to Christ,”
    and in that preference they flourished amid the ruins of Rome.

    St Bernard of Clairvaux (†1153) wrote:
    “He who clings to God is never confounded, though the whole world rise against him.”

    Therefore:

    • Let no ridicule, no poverty, no persecution make thee abandon the narrow path.
    • Work honestly, give alms generously, and trust that He who clothes the lilies and feeds the sparrows will not abandon thee (Matthew 6:26-30).
    • When the wicked prosper like the green bay tree (Psalm 37:35), remember: their end is destruction, but thy end is everlasting life.

    Flourish, then, not in pride or riches, but in humility and charity.
    Prosper not for thine own glory, but that thou mayest have more to give to God and to the poor.
    Thus, even if the world strip thee of all, thou shalt still possess everything in Him who is All.

    Epilogue: The True and Only Way

    Happiness is not a distant dream; it is Christ Himself dwelling in thee by sanctifying grace.

    “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).

    The precepts here set down are but branches of the one Vine.
    Keep them not as burdens, but as wings that bear thee upward to the bosom of the Father.

    When thou fallest (for flesh is weak), rise quickly in the Sacrament of Penance, for the Lord is “ready to forgive, gracious and merciful” (Nehemiah 9:17).

    There is no soul so lost that one act of perfect contrition cannot restore it to grace.
    There is no night so dark that the light of one good confession cannot turn it into eternal day.

    Therefore, begin anew each morning.
    Love God above all.
    Love thy neighbour as thyself.
    And thou shalt already taste, even in this valley of tears, the first fruits of paradise.

    Go forth, then, beloved soul.
    The road is narrow, but it is sure.
    The Driver is Christ Himself.

    Fare thee well in Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

    Amen.

  • 17. Learn and Practise the Works of Mercy

    17. Learn and Practise the Works of Mercy

    Our Lord shall judge us by these very deeds:
    “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you…
    For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Matthew 25:34-36).

    The Church hath ever taught, from the Shepherd of Hermas (c. 140) to St Gregory the Great (†604), that the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are the surest road to beatitude.

    Corporal:

    • Feed the hungry
    • Give drink to the thirsty
    • Clothe the naked
    • Shelter the homeless
    • Visit the sick
    • Ransom the captive
    • Bury the dead

    Spiritual:

    • Instruct the ignorant
    • Counsel the doubtful
    • Admonish sinners
    • Bear wrongs patiently
    • Forgive offences willingly
    • Comfort the afflicted
    • Pray for the living and the dead

    Do these not for praise, but because thou seest Christ Himself in every suffering soul.
    He who closeth his ear to the cry of the poor shall himself cry and not be heard (Proverbs 21:13).

    18. Practise the Golden Rule in Its Fullness

    “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Luke 6:31; Matthew 7:12).
    This is the Law and the Prophets summed up in one sentence.

    St Augustine (†430) wrote:
    “Love, and do what thou wilt,”
    for perfect love cannot will evil to another.

    Therefore:

    • Wish for thy neighbour every good thou desirest for thyself: salvation, peace, health, honour.
    • Never consent, even in thought, to anything thou wouldst not wish done unto thee.

    This rule is not a soft sentiment; it is the sword that cutteth away all selfishness and maketh a man truly free.

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  • 15. Fulfil Thy Duties Toward God and His Church

    15. Fulfil Thy Duties Toward God and His Church

    “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30).

    All the fathers before the year 1200 taught that the highest happiness of man consisteth in the worship and contemplation of God.

    • Keep holy the Lord’s Day and the feasts of the Church, for “the sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27) that he might be refreshed in God.
    • Hear Mass devoutly, receive the sacraments worthily, and confess thy sins regularly, for “whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them” (John 20:23).
    • Give alms, fast, and pray, as the Lord commandeth (Matthew 6:1-18).
    • Honour the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and the saints, invoking their intercession, for the Church hath ever done so from the catacombs unto this day (St Irenaeus †202, St Ephrem †373, St Augustine †430).

    He who placeth God first findeth all other things added unto him (Matthew 6:33).
    The soul that neglecteth divine worship wandereth in darkness and falleth into a thousand miseries.

    16. Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others (Yet Hold Fast the True Faith)

    “Render to all their dues… honour to whom honour” (Romans 13:7).
    Treat every man with the courtesy due to one made in God’s image.

    Yet the same Apostle commandeth:
    “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).
    St Justin Martyr (†165), St Cyprian (†258), and St Augustine (†430) taught that while we must not persecute or revile those in error, we must never pretend that all beliefs are equal, for Christ alone is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

    Therefore:

    • Show charity and patience toward Jews, pagans, and heretics.
    • Never mock their conscience, but bear witness to the truth with meekness (1 Peter 3:15).
    • Pray for their conversion, as the Lord desireth “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

    Thus thou preservest both peace among men and the integrity of the one true Faith.

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  • 13. Be Industrious and Competent in Thy Calling

    13. Be Industrious and Competent in Thy Calling

    The Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (Genesis 2:15).
    From the beginning, labour was not a curse but a blessing, until sin made it toilsome.

    St Paul commandeth plainly:
    “If any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10),
    and again,
    “Do your own business, and work with your own hands… that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

    The holy monks of old (St Benedict †547, St Bernard †1153) made manual labour a pillar of the monastic life, chanting:
    “Ora et labora” (pray and work).
    They taught that idleness is the enemy of the soul.

    Therefore:

    • Master thy craft with diligence, whether plough, chisel, pen, or loom.
    • Perform every task as unto the Lord, not unto men (Colossians 3:23).
    • Seek excellence, for mediocrity dishonoureth the talents given thee (Matthew 25:14-30).

    The industrious man eateth bread in peace; the slothful is clothed with rags and tormented by want (Proverbs 13:4).

    14. Be Trustworthy and Keep Thy Word

    “Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation” (James 5:12).
    The fathers before 1200 condemned oath-breaking as a mortal sin against the Second Commandment.

    St Gregory Nazianzen (†390) wrote:
    “A single breach of promise is enough to destroy all trust among men.”

    Therefore:

    • Promise sparingly, but once promised, fulfil even to thy hurt (Psalm 15:4).
    • Speak truth in contracts, commerce, and daily converse.
    • Restore what thou hast borrowed, pay what thou owest.

    A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches (Proverbs 22:1).
    The trustworthy soul walketh safely and sleepeth sweetly.

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  • 11. Do No Harm to a Person of Good Will

    11. Do No Harm to a Person of Good Will

    “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

    The Church hath ever taught that the innocent and the just must be defended as we would defend Christ Himself.
    St John Chrysostom (†407) wrote:
    “He who honours the just man honours God who dwelleth in him.”
    St Ambrose (†397) excommunicated the Emperor Theodosius for the massacre at Thessalonica, proving that no earthly power may crush the righteous with impunity.

    Therefore:

    • Never slander, betray, or strike the man who seeketh to live honestly and peacefully.
    • If thou seest the good oppressed (whether priest, parent, neighbour, or stranger), stand beside them, for “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you… for my sake” (Matthew 5:11).
    • Even if they be of another nation or rite, if they bear good will, protect them, remembering the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).

    He who harmeth a person of good will woundeth the Heart of Christ and storeth up wrath against the day of wrath (Romans 2:5).

    12. Safeguard and Improve Thy Surroundings and Thy Neighbour’s

    God placed Adam in a garden “to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15).
    All creation groaneth until the sons of God be revealed (Romans 8:22); therefore we are stewards, not destroyers.

    12-1. Keep thy body, thy dwelling, and thy city clean and orderly, for “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).
    The desert fathers kept their cells immaculate as an act of worship.

    12-2. Labour to make thy neighbourhood beautiful and safe.
    Repair what is broken, plant what is barren, teach the ignorant; for “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

    12-3. Care for the earth, the animals, and the poor, for the Lord “hath given the earth unto the children of men” (Psalm 115:16) to be used with reverence, not ravaged with greed.

    Thus thou preparest a dwelling-place worthy of the returning King.

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  • 9. Do Not Commit Acts Forbidden by Just Authority

    God Himself ordained civil authority as His minister:
    “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1).
    St Peter commandeth: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13).

    Yet this obedience is not blind.
    When earthly law contradicteth divine law, we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29), as the apostles and all martyrs before 1200 did.
    But where the law is just and tendeth to the common good, to break it is to wound the Body of Christ and to open the door to chaos.

    Therefore:

    • Pay thy taxes honestly, for even Christ paid the temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27).
    • Observe the statutes of the realm that protect life, marriage, and property.
    • If thou seest injustice in the law, work lawfully to amend it, not to overthrow order by rebellion.

    St Isidore of Seville (†636) taught that laws are to be obeyed not out of fear alone, but for conscience’ sake.
    A soul at peace with just authority is a soul free to ascend toward God.

    10. Support a Government Ordered for the Common Good and the Glory of God

    Earthly kingdoms are but shadows of the eternal Kingdom.
    Yet Christ bade us render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s (Matthew 22:21).

    • Pray for kings and all in authority, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:2).
    • Oppose quietly and lawfully those rulers who persecute the Church or command sin, but never with hatred or violence, for “bless them that curse you” (Matthew 5:44).
    • Labour that the state may serve the true ends of man: worship of God, protection of the innocent, and the flourishing of virtue.

    St Gregory the Great (†604) counselled emperors and kings, yet reminded them they were servants, not lords, of the people.
    A commonwealth ordered toward Godward is the surest earthly path to happiness.

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  • 7. Seek to Live with the Truth

    “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16).
    Our Lord is Truth itself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
    To walk in falsehood is to walk with the father of lies (John 8:44).

    7-1. Speak no harmful lie.
    St Augustine (†430), in his treatise De Mendacio, declared that every lie is sinful, and a lie told to harm another is doubly grievous.
    Even the smallest falsehood, repeated, buildeth a tower of Babel between souls.

    7-2. Bear no false witness, neither in court nor in daily converse.
    The Council of Elvira (c. 306) and the penitential books before the year 1200 imposed heavy penance upon perjurers.
    “These six things doth the Lord hate… a lying tongue… a false witness that speaketh lies” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

    7-3. Embrace truth even when it costeth thee.
    The martyrs chose torture and death rather than one false word.
    Truth is the very light by which the soul seeth God; without it we stumble in darkness.

    Wherefore, let thy yea be yea, and thy nay, nay (James 5:12).
    The man who liveth in truth liveth already in the courts of heaven, for God is Truth, and in Him is no shadow of turning.

    8. Thou Shalt Do No Murder

    “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).
    From the blood of Abel crying from the ground (Genesis 4:10) to the words of Christ upon the mount, the sacredness of human life, made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), hath ever been guarded.

    • The unborn child, the infirm elder, the enemy in war, the condemned criminal—all bear the imago Dei.
      The Didache (c. 90 AD) and the Letter of Barnabas (c.130 AD) already condemned abortion and infanticide as murder.
      St Basil the Great (†379) and the Council of Ancyra (314) imposed the same penance for abortion as for homicide.
    • Even hatred in the heart is incipient murder:
      “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).

    Defend the innocent, protect the weak, but never take vengeance into thine own hands, for “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

    The way of happiness is paved with the preservation of life, not its destruction.

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