The Use of a Hair Shirt for Penance

The discipline has a marvelous power for arousing the taste for devotion so long as it is used in moderation. Continual and moderate temperance is preferable to harsh abstinence practiced fitfully alongside great relaxations. The use of a hair shirt powerfully constrains the body but not ordinarily proper for either married men or those who have delicate makeups nor for those who already suffer other great pains. However, yes it can be used on days that are set aside in particular for penance, doing so with guidance from a prudent confessor. Each person must sleep as his physical make up requires, taking as much as needed for him to spend the day profitably.