Doing a different penance other than the one assigned?

[Sir_Knight]

Is it “acceptable” to do a different penance other than the one given during the confession if your own penance is larger than the one given by the priest?

BACKGROUND: Sometimes I get a really lite penance of a few “Our Father’s” and/or a few “Hail Mary’s”. Would it be “acceptable” if I did prayed a rosary instead?

 

[Deacon_Ed]

You can always tell the priest you think the penance is too light and ask for something more severe. Rather than change the penance on your own, negotiate one you think is acceptable. That is a part of the new Rite and it’s your right!

Deacon Ed

 

[LilyM]

We’re all encouraged to do penance for our sins over and above what we receive in Confession (as long as we do the assigned penance as well, of course). That’s precisely what the season of Lent is about!!!

No renegotiation or discussion with your priest necessary, surely.

 

[Sir_Knight]

The way that I’m looking at it, if I am given 3 “Our Father’s” and 3 “Hail Mary’s” and I say a rosary – I’m still praying the 3 “Our Father’s” (they’re contained in the 6 “Our Father’s” in the rosary) and 3 “Hail Mary’s” (they’re contained in the 53 "“Hail Mary’s” in the rosary).

 

[LilyM]

The way that I’m looking at it, if I am given 3 “Our Father’s” and 3 “Hail Mary’s” and I say a rosary – I’m still praying the 3 “Our Father’s” (they’re contained in the 6 “Our Father’s” in the rosary) and 3 “Hail Mary’s” (they’re contained in the 53 "“Hail Mary’s” in the rosary).

I don’t know that I’d do it exactly that way - I’d just say the assigned penance in one go, separately from the Rosary (can’t hurt that you add a few extra prayers as a result )

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Is it “acceptable” to do a different penance other than the one given during the confession if your own penance is larger than the one given by the priest?

BACKGROUND: Sometimes I get a really lite penance of a few “Our Father’s” and/or a few “Hail Mary’s”. Would it be “acceptable” if I did prayed a rosary instead?

As long as you do what was given. In other words, saying a Rosary includes saying the Our Father 6 times and the Hail Mary 53 times (?)

 

[baltobetsy]

I’ll take the opposite view. The humility required to accept whatever penance the priest gives you is surely more pleasing to God than anything you come up with on your own.

Betsy

 

[LilyM]

I’ll take the opposite view. The humility required to accept whatever penance the priest gives you is surely more pleasing to God than anything you come up with on your own.

Betsy

I wouldn’t argue with a penance which I thought was too lenient. But I can and do say private penitential devotions and prayers of my own in any event. I would argue with one that I couldn’t possibly do or that I was very unlikely to be able to do within a reasonable timeframe.

 

[jmcrae]

Any time I’ve ever thought my penance was too light, my Confessor gave me a Novena, or else a book of Scripture to read every day for a week, etc. (my favourite was to read the Sermon on the Mount through from beginning to end, each day, for three consecutive days) - so, yeah, I’m with the person who says, “just say the assigned penance in one go, separately from the Rosary,” without mentioning that you think your penance is too light.

 

[o_o_82]

Dear Sir Knight,
I don’t have any official position on this. However I want to warn you that your feeling that your penance is not sufficient may lead you to scrupulosity. (This is not a sin – but an recognized evil.)

O.O.

 

[chevalier]

I would do the penance from the priest apart from whatever bigger prayer might include it.

 

[leonie]

We should be doing penance apart from our assigned penance away. I listened to a great tape set called *Unless You Do Penance. *It was really inspiring. I got it from St. Joseph’s communication.

One time a priest told me to go out with the girls as my penance. I knew that my family responsibilities would preclude this for several weeks. So, I asked for an easier one.

 

[MTD]

The way that I’m looking at it, if I am given 3 “Our Father’s” and 3 “Hail Mary’s” and I say a rosary – I’m still praying the 3 “Our Father’s” (they’re contained in the 6 “Our Father’s” in the rosary) and 3 “Hail Mary’s” (they’re contained in the 53 "“Hail Mary’s” in the rosary).

The problem is, in the rosary you’re supposed to be meditating on a mystery while you say the Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s. When the priest assigns a few Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s, it is understood that he wants you to think about the words of the prayer you’re saying. In the rosary that’s sort of impossible because that’s not what the rosary is all about; rather, the rosary is about meditating on the mysteries. Does this make any sense?

Maria

 

[JimG]

Do the penance the priest assigns.
After that, you can do whatever additional penance you like, privately, on your own, not as a part of your confession penance.