Am I still forgiven if I do not do my penance?

[andrew2101]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

 

[andrew2101]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

Three Chaplets of Divine Mercy is not that much. Do one a day for three days if you want. It’s not that bad. I was told to pray to the Holy Spirit every day for the rest of my life. I do it willingly and I’m glad I was given the penance.

To answer your question, it shows a lack of sorrow and remorse for your sins to not do your penance without just reason. Three Chaplets is nothing. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy lasts eight to ten minutes each time you do it, so that’s only twenty-four to thirty minutes of your time. I’m sure you can find the time.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

Technically, if you don’t do your penance, you’re still forgiven. However, if you willfully neglect to complete a penance that was given for mortal sins it’s mortal sin. Thus, yes you’re still forgiven, but you incur another mortal sin for willfully failing to complete your penance.

Perhaps if you find it strenuous, you might benefit from meditating on on Jesus being scourged at the pillar, carrying his cross, and then being nailed to it so that you may be able to go to Confession, receive absolution and complete your penance. That might make the burden of your penance seem lighter.

 

[onjac]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

I don’t have a clear answer on this. But I think three chaplets wouldn’t be too much to ask for compared to what Jesus had to bear on the Cross. As strenuous as they are (I know they’re really long), keep in mind that you’re asking for God’s help in bearing with your own.

I don’t think you have to do it all in one sitting. Just work your way through it.

 

[fastenatingguy]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

Do you think you are forgiven?

Ask your priest.

 

[mlz]

I’m new to Catholicism so I might not be right. I do think Absolution is just that being absolved from your sin and therefore you are forgiven. Penance I’ve felt (could be wrong and I stand corrected if I am) is for your soul, for your own good. It is to help you become closer to the Lord after the confession by whatever act is given to you. I do think you should try to do whatever is asked though.

Love in Christ,
mlz

 

[Brooklyn]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

From the Catechism:

1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused.62 **Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins. This satisfaction is also called “penance.” **

1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent’s personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, “provided we suffer with him.”

In a word, no, you were not forgiven of your sins. You are still in a state of sin until you do the penance you were given.

Christ dying on the Cross was a bit more strenuous than your saying three chaplets.

P.S. I just want to add, God bless that holy priest who cared enough about you to give you such a wonderful penance. And I mean that with all sincerity.

 

[Rhuarc]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

I say the Divine Mercy chaplet sometimes when I don’t have the time or am not in the mood to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary. All you have to do is think about God’s mercy. This penance is pretty easy and straight to the point, I would most definitely do it.

 

[Rhuarc]

Oh and to answer the topic name, yes you are already forgiven penance is what you do afterward to make up for your transgressions.

 

[Joe_5859]

Technically, if you don’t do your penance, you’re still forgiven. However, if you willfully neglect to complete a penance that was given for mortal sins it’s mortal sin. Thus, yes you’re still forgiven, but you incur another mortal sin for willfully failing to complete your penance.

Perhaps if you find it strenuous, you might benefit from meditating on on Jesus being scourged at the pillar, carrying his cross, and then being nailed to it so that you may be able to go to Confession, receive absolution and complete your penance. That might make the burden of your penance seem lighter.

This is correct. The forgiveness of sins is contigent upon the priest saying the words of absolution, not the act of penance. But failure to do your penance would be an additional sin.

 

[Edmundus1581]

Yes, the absolution you received is valid and complete. It does not depend on you performing the penance. You are in a state of grace and may receive communion.

Fr Z’s blog Am I forgiven if I don’t do a penance assigned in confession? …

***You are forgiven your sins even if you don’t do the penance.

People need to understand that the validity of the absolution and the efficacy of the sacrament do not depend on whether you do your assigned penance.***

If you fail to perform your penance then you commit a sin which is to be confessed at the next confession. If you **choose **not to perform your penance for any reason (rather than “fail” to perform it) then you must mention that at your next confession and follow your confessor’s direction. He may assign a different penance, or may not.

Technically, if you don’t do your penance, you’re still forgiven. However, if you willfully neglect to complete a penance that was given for mortal sins it’s mortal sin. Thus, yes you’re still forgiven, but you incur another mortal sin for willfully failing to complete your penance.

This is the first I’ve heard that it’s a **mortal **sin to not do a penance assigned for mortal sin. I don’t believe it is the case. Are you getting confused with deliberately ommitting a mortal sin during confession?

 

[Delaine75]

You MUST do your penance. Period.

 

[vjnycguy]

Long story short: I went to confession and received absolution. The priest told me to say three Divine Mercy Chaplets yesterday and ask God to help me remain chaste (i’m gay). Three chaplets is strenuous! Am I still forgiven if I don’t do my assigned penance?

NO… you must do them to be absolved. Period. There is no sugar coating… you MUST do penance to be absolved. Three Chaplets aren’t as hard as being nailed to a cross.

 

[Joannm]

Three chaplets takes all of 15 minutes.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

This is the first I’ve heard that it’s a **mortal **sin to not do a penance assigned for mortal sin. I don’t believe it is the case. Are you getting confused with deliberately ommitting a mortal sin during confession?

No. I took that right out of my Moral Theology book that is the Moral Theology textbook used by the FSSP.

(Emphasis is as is in original text)

573. - III Duties of the penitent. 1. In itself it is a grave obligation for the penitent to ***accept and perform *** any reasonable penance imposed upon him in a valid confession.

It is a mortal sin not to perform a grave penance which has been imposed sub gravi for mortal sins. If the penitent before receiving absolution is minded not to perform such a penance, his confession would be invalid.

 

[jay29]

From the Catechism:1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused.62 Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins. This satisfaction is also called “penance.”

1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent’s personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, "provided we suffer with him."In a word, no, you were not forgiven of your sins. You are still in a state of sin until you do the penance you were given.

Christ dying on the Cross was a bit more strenuous than your saying three chaplets.

P.S. I just want to add, God bless that holy priest who cared enough about you to give you such a wonderful penance. And I mean that with all sincerity.

Not true. Sins are forgiven before penance is given.

Once the priest recites the prayer of absolution and states at the end “…and I absolve you of ALL OF YOUR SINS…” All sins are gone, penance or not. You still must do penance.

 

[TheDoctor]

All sins confessed and any honestly forgotten are forgiven when the Priest gives you absolution. Absolution cannot be conditional on anything.

If you don’t do your penance it may be an additional sin but that depends on the reason you did not do it. Do the Chaplets and then discuss this with Father at your next confession.

You are forgiven. Keep strong and know that God heals and loves.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Why are you asking this is two forums? I gave you the answer in the other forum straight out of the Moral Theology textbook used by the FSSP in their NB Seminary.

 

[Brooklyn]

Not true. Sins are forgiven before penance is given.

Once the priest recites the prayer of absolution and states at the end “…and I absolve you of ALL OF YOUR SINS…” All sins are gone, penance or not. You still must do penance.

You do realize that I did not write that. It is a direct quote from the Catechism, so I suggest you take up this matter with the church and let them know they are wrong, that you know better.