Communion as a penance?

[whatevergirl]

I went to Confession today, and the priest gave me my penance, as ‘one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Communion.’ I have never had that as a ‘penance.’ I never considered receiving Communion to be a penance. I asked him again before I left to make sure I heard it correctly. Yep, Communion as penance.

Just curious of your thoughts…Thanks!

 

[AHapka]

I agree that this is unusual, but I don’t know where this is prohibited.

I did receive a similar, but different penance two weeks ago.

My penance was to dedicate my next Communion to my marriage and living it more deeply.

I’m thinking that perhaps he meant dedicating your Communion to (whatever). I know that people commonly do this. But of course I don’t know for sure. In any event, I suggest you praise the Lord for Confession while you do

 

[AHapka]

dedicating your Communion to (whatever).

I just thought of what I wrote and your screen name. No pun intended.

 

[whatevergirl]

I agree that this is unusual, but I don’t know where this is prohibited.

I did receive a similar, but different penance two weeks ago.

My penance was to dedicate my next Communion to my marriage and living it more deeply.

I’m thinking that perhaps he meant dedicating your Communion to (whatever). I know that people commonly do this. But of course I don’t know for sure. In any event, I suggest you praise the Lord for Confession while you do

Okay–that makes sense. Thank you…

I will dedicate it to my family, and to refrain from sin, as much as possible. I wouldn’t have thought of that.

 

[whatevergirl]

I just thought of what I wrote and your screen name. No pun intended.

I laughed when I read that…

 

[childofmary1143]

I went to Confession today, and the priest gave me my penance, as ‘one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Communion.’ I have never had that as a ‘penance.’ I never considered receiving Communion to be a penance. I asked him again before I left to make sure I heard it correctly. Yep, Communion as penance.

Just curious of your thoughts…Thanks!

I’ve had that penance here in my diocese too. Sometimes I get a penance of doing a good deed. I dunno

 

[EasterJoy]

I agree that this is unusual, but I don’t know where this is prohibited.

I did receive a similar, but different penance two weeks ago.

My penance was to dedicate my next Communion to my marriage and living it more deeply.

I’m thinking that perhaps he meant dedicating your Communion to (whatever). I know that people commonly do this. But of course I don’t know for sure. In any event, I suggest you praise the Lord for Confession while you do

Exactly. Penance is “an act of self-mortification* or* devotion, performed voluntarily to show sorrow for a sin or other wrongdoing.” That could be your personal sin or sin in general.

After all, it is not as if praying the Our Father or Hail Mary are exactly self-mortifications. These are devotions, too.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

And since you’ve just come from confession you are in a state of grace to receive. Actually, it is kind of interesting and even helpful because it ties in 'confession before Eucharist."

Where so many today seem to think that they can ‘take communion’ without ever going to confession, having (after confession) a penance of receiving the Eucharist can subtly underscore the relationship of ‘confession before communion’, and make you think more, and increase your devotion. It’s an interesting idea that I for one would not have thought of, but on reflection, it could be a very good idea.

 

[LilyM]

As a previous poster said ‘penance’ is something offered in reparation for our sins, it’s not necessarily got to be (and usually isn’t) something that is painful for us to do, but instead something that will please God and/or other people. And receiving Communion, assuming you’re relatively fresh-n-squeaky-clean from confession, would fit the bill.

 

[SenorSalsa]

it always makes me sad when all i get for penance is
“1 our father, 1 glory be, and 1 hail mary”. I feel like im not really even trying to repay my sins

 

[LilyM]

it always makes me sad when all i get for penance is
“1 our father, 1 glory be, and 1 hail mary”. I feel like im not really even trying to repay my sins

Nothing to prevent (and everything to encourage) you to pray more and do more penitential reparations of your own afterwards!

What’s the difference between umpteen Rosaries offered in reparation of your sins because your priest ordered you to say them, and the same prayers said voluntarily out of your own sense of the need for reparation? If anything the latter would probably be more pleasing to God.

 

[jmcrae]

I went to Confession today, and the priest gave me my penance, as ‘one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Communion.’ I have never had that as a ‘penance.’ I never considered receiving Communion to be a penance. I asked him again before I left to make sure I heard it correctly. Yep, Communion as penance.

Just curious of your thoughts…Thanks!

One time I received a penance to receive Holy Communion at least five times in the next two weeks.

Another time, I was given a penance to attend the next available Mass and offer up my Holy Communion for a particular intention.

 

[rosebudsal]

I went to Confession today, and the priest gave me my penance, as ‘one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Communion.’ I have never had that as a ‘penance.’ I never considered receiving Communion to be a penance. I asked him again before I left to make sure I heard it correctly. Yep, Communion as penance.

Just curious of your thoughts…Thanks!

My thoughts don’t reflect real life for the moment, but I considered it actually for a story I’m writing. However, I wasn’t certain that it would happen in real life, but it seemed really plausible for the scenario of my main character and how she went to Confession for the first time in years and the priest she was confessing to told her to specifically go to Communion as part of her penance, but I cut it from the story. I may go back and add it to the story.

I’m also glad to see others comment that it’s happened before. When I confess, I am usually told to pray, more specifically about what Ive done, or failed to do, or how I’ve sinned and how to change my outlook etc. I find that to be a bit harder than an “Our Father” or “Hail Mary” for example. I think the priest is trying to get me to reflect on my sins by focusing specifically on them rather than saying familiar prayers and not thinking on them, because I totally admit it’s easy to say the “Our Father” or “Hail Mary” and not even once stop to think about what they mean or what else might be going on in my life at the time.

Sorry for the tangent and digression.

 

[whatevergirl]

And since you’ve just come from confession you are in a state of grace to receive. Actually, it is kind of interesting and even helpful because it ties in 'confession before Eucharist."

Where so many today seem to think that they can ‘take communion’ without ever going to confession, having (after confession) a penance of receiving the Eucharist can subtly underscore the relationship of ‘confession before communion’, and make you think more, and increase your devotion. It’s an interesting idea that I for one would not have thought of, but on reflection, it could be a very good idea.

It’s funny that you mention this, because I really felt overwhelmed with emotion tonight when I returned back to the pew to kneel, after Communion, more than I typically might feel. It had only been an hour before that I was now receiving Christ…offering up the Eucharist as a dedication for someone else, and as penance, really ended up moving me. I’m always cognizant of the magnitude of what I’m receiving, and the event that is taking place, but there was something ‘extra’ special, for lack of a better word, at tonight’s mass.

 

[EasterJoy]

it always makes me sad when all i get for penance is
“1 our father, 1 glory be, and 1 hail mary”. I feel like im not really even trying to repay my sins

Penance is the continuing work of Christians, like its sister, almsgiving.

Besides, you cannot repay your sins. Christ paid for your sins. The penance after confession is not meant to give you the impression that you have accomplished reparation, because that is not how the sacrament works. You already owed God all of your life and service before you sinned. What have you to offer for your life that does not already belong to God by right?

I like to think of the penance I receive after confession more as a first gesture of good faith. There is nothing I can do for God, except to give him all, which is only for my own sake. He wants nothing, save all of me, so that I may receive His gift of life everlasting. So a smaller rather than a greater penance reminds that we still come to God in total poverty, hat in hand.

 

[EasterJoy]

It’s funny that you mention this, because I really felt overwhelmed with emotion tonight when I returned back to the pew to kneel, after Communion, more than I typically might feel. It had only been an hour before that I was now receiving Christ…offering up the Eucharist as a dedication for someone else, and as penance, really ended up moving me. I’m always cognizant of the magnitude of what I’m receiving, and the event that is taking place, but there was something ‘extra’ special, for lack of a better word, at tonight’s mass.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His mercy endures forever!