Can we dedicate our penance?

[NorthTexan88]

After confession, when we are given our penance, before we do what our penance is are we allowed to dedicate our penance?
For example, I’m given 3 Hail Mary’s as a penance, before I pray them can I dedicate my penance to the conversion of my family or something like that?

 

[Gorgias]

Well, penance is what you do to render satisfaction for your sins – in other words, it’s what fixes things for the sins you’ve committed (and have just been forgiven for). So, your penance is already dedicated to something!

 

[UpUpAndAway]

Well, penance is what you do to render satisfaction for your sins – in other words, it’s what fixes things for the sins you’ve committed (and have just been forgiven for). So, your penance is already dedicated to something!

Exactly. I don’t offer my penance for any intention(s) unless doing so is part of the penance. For example, if I am told to say a decade of the Rosary for the intentions of the Holy Father, then I offer that decade for the intentions of the Holy Father…but not for the conversion of The Husband or my father’s return to the Church or my chronically ill mother or my friend whose pet is missing or the repose of anyone’s soul.

Whether it is actually **wrong **to offer for one’s own intentions the prayers assigned as penance, that I could not tell you.

 

[zz912]

Well, penance is what you do to render satisfaction for your sins – in other words, it’s what fixes things for the sins you’ve committed (and have just been forgiven for). So, your penance is already dedicated to something!

I would have to agree. The penance that is given during Confession is already dedicated to making reparations for your sins.

Nothing precludes you from doing more penance, and dedicating that for an acceptable purpose.