), especially when there’s study or work that you should be doing, or jobs you should be applying for, would be grave/mortal.Please be careful with such blanket statements! Not all sins of lust are mortal sins - if I look at a woman’s bottom because I think it’s shapely, that is, strictly speaking, a sin of lust, but not a mortal one because there is no grave matter.If you’ve been working or studying the rest of the year, there’s nothing wrong at all in taking something of a vacation during the summer. Quite the contrary, a decent break is a necessity, which is why many countries have mandatory amounts of annual leave for workers.
Perhaps you can find some volunteering to do - charity work, or helping coach sports if sport is your thing - if the idea of doing nothing is unappealing? Or if study is more your style, start seriously studying your faith - read the Catechism or the Compendium of the Catechism, scripture or other books about the faith. There’s a lot of stuff available online, or you can check out what your local library has to offer.
That should keep the lazies at bay!
As for your second question - it’s a gray area. Lust is always a mortal sin, as the Gospels demonstrate.
Otherwise it depends on how much you indulge, partly. For example overeating on occasion is venial sin at most, overeating most days is probably grave. Spending the occasional day doing nothing useful is fine, spending weeks on end (unless you’re on vacation
Probably also depends on how much your vice interferes with you doing the things you know you should - be they study or work or prayer. I know at times I spend way too much time with the TV or the internet and not enough on the other things - that’s when I know I’ve got to hit that confessional.
Nope. From the catechism:
Hi LilyM,
Mortal sins in the Catechism are described by the word “grave.”
If you are keeping home clean, fixing things, maybe getting some portion of dinner ready, or other household (or yard work if that applies), then it might be Ok to take things easy a bit. I don’t think there are enough paid employment jobs for all 17 year olds, so some will be left home alone. Contribute what you can to the things that are needed around the home. You parents, who already love you, will probably not hesitate in the least to compliment you and express thier pride and gratitude. Its part of growing into more responcibility. Some things you can see for yourself; but don’t hesitate to ask what needs to be done.
When I lose my temper and utter expletives under my breath when my older kids don’t lift a hand to help out.
The concept of “not at work” as sloth is part of the protestant work ethic and another protest inherent in their theology that is less than helpful. If sloth is just about work, then the contemplative religious who pray unceasingly for our world are in the worst of mortal sin. The philosophical studies that are ordered toward utility are only used to justify behavior, and usually bad behavior at that, but the search for truth that is at the heart of philosophy is not a utility for human good, it is the search for God. Sloth defined appropriately as “spiritual sloth” is the indifference toward God seen in most of the work-a-day world. The rest of the Sabbath can only be actual worship if it is lacking in activity, full of contemplation, and ordered fully toward God. Ones day dreaming is only worthless if it is ordered toward evil.
When it is willfull, hurtful and seriously effects the ability to live [especially if one is in the postion WHICH YOU [at the present time] ARE NOT of being chief or necessary provider.
***If you’re speaking of Sunday or Holiday Mass and you are aware of the three conditions for a Mortal sin to exist, it would be a mortal sin.