How many young people end up in hell because of bad conversations! Saint Paul already preached this truth when he said that filthy things should never come out of the mouth of the Christians, since they are the ruin of good morals. Think of these conversations like food: a dish might be good but just one drop of poison in it can kill whoever eats it.
The same goes for obscene language. A word, a gesture, a joke are enough to teach malice to one or more companions and boys that were innocent little lambs of Jesus Christ become the unfortunate prey of the devil.
Someone might say: “I know of the sad consequences of bad conversations but what can we do about it? I find myself at school, in a workshop, in a shop, or doing the work I have to do and there they carry on with this kind of talk.” I too know there are these kinds of places, so I am suggesting the rule for getting away without offending the Lord. If these people are less important than you then correct them quite firmly; when they are people you cannot reprimand then get away from them if you can and if you can't, then be quite firm about not taking part, neither with words or a smile and say in your heart: “Jesus, have mercy on me.”
And if, despite these precautions, you are still in danger of offending God, I will give you the advice of St. Augustine, which says: Apprechénde fugam, si vis reférre victóriam. Flee, leave the place, the school, the workshop, bear all the ills of this world, rather than live in a place or deal with people who put in danger the salvation of your soul. Because the Gospel says, it is better to be poor, despised, suffer to be cut off by our feet and hands and go to Heaven, rather than having everything we want in the world and then eternally losing our souls.
There will not be any lack of people who laugh at you and mock you, but that does not matter. There will come a time when the laughter and mockery of the evil ones will turn into wailing in hell, and the contempt that the good have felt will change into the most consoling happiness in heaven. If you remain firm on the Lord's behalf, it will come to pass that these same scoffers will be forced to appreciate your virtue in such a way that they will no longer dare to trouble you with their perverse reasoning.
Wherever St Aloysius Gonzaga was no one dared use an off word and if someone was about to say something like that he was soon told: keep quiet - Aloysius is here.
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