Have you ever received an unusual penance?

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*So, I went with my dd to confession on Saturday. It had been two months. I stated my sins, one of them being that I have been worried about the economy and our country. (it comes and goes, I’m not worried everyday – sometimes, the worry catches me off guard) The priest said…**‘when you worry, it is a huge waste of time, damages your health. Damages your mind, distracts you from hearing God. He said God wants us to be happy, even in the midst of confusion, and turmoil. For your penance, I wish you to say 4 Our Fathers AND…challenge yourself to not worry anymore. When you feel worry coming on…STOP, PRAY…and be happy. Sounds easy, but it will take you some practice.’’ **

Dr Phil, is that you? 😛

I thought, how unusual…how refreshing. How different. Since he told me that, (only a few days ago) I have felt worry creep up…but I remember his words, and it’s like the worry runs away. :o I don’t know about you all, but after I leave confession, I sometimes feel like I have seen the best counselor ever! Well, Jesus is the best Counselor there is, and He is speaking through the priest.

Thought I’d start a thread to see other’s experiences and if you have ever received an unusual penance.*
 
I last went to confession about a month ago. My sins weren’t anything family related, but the priest gave me the odd penance of writing a thank you note to my mom & dad for all they’ve done (It was close to mother’s day). He insisted that I make it personal and write it by hand, not email it. So, I bought a little card and just wrote a note thanking them for being there and helping me in various ways throughout college. I think they we’re kinda weirded out by a random thank you, so I told them it was a penance:D
 
Yes, I once received the penace to “do something nice for your mother”. It was interesting, nonetheless.
 
I did receive the rather vague penance once to show someone that Jesus loved them. I spent all day being nice and kind to everyone I met in hopes that did it.
The coolest one that a friend told me she recieved before she died of cancer was to every time she passed a crucifix to tell Jesus she loved him.
 
JB05 said:
the priest gave me the odd penance of writing a thank you note to my mom & dad for all they’ve done (It was close to mother’s day). He insisted that I make it personal and write it by hand, not email it.
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I was asked to do the very same thing!! 😃
 
I once confessed, not for the first time, that I was inconsiderate of my parents. The priest asked me what I could do about it. I mentioned certain prayers that I could say. I forget his exact response, but it was something along the lines of, “Prayer is good, but you need to do something concrete.” He asked me if I could bring my parents out to dinner. I said yes, and so I did. Of course I also brought my younger sister and brother since there was no one at home to cook for them.
 
Once a priest I deeply admire told me to go sit in the church and read every word of the Gospel of John. Without thinking I replied “you serious?” He then asked me if I thought he was laughing. It was easily the best penance ever…
 
I once received a penance to perform an act of kindness for someone. I couldn’t think of what to do so I cleaned a friend’s apartment. :o
 
The strangest one I have ever heard was when an older priest told some old woman to walk around the church cemetery while saying the Rosary and to reflect on how she was going to die someday.
 
I was asked to bake a cake for my family once.

But my strangest penance was to say three things good about myself every day for a week and also to go out and do something nice for myself, like get a pedicure or manicure or my hair done. It was at a time when I was really putting myself down.
 
whatevergirl said:
Thought I’d start a thread to see other’s experiences and if you have ever received an unusual penance.
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Take a street-person to lunch and listen to them.

Learn a prayer in a new language.

Eat only whatever is served for a week… giving up choice in food.

Translate the Glory Be into Klingon, then say 20 each of them in both english and klingon. (at the time, I was able to.)

Play to not win; aim for second, next week. If KG wants to play Diplomacy, play anyway. (I hate AH’s Diplomacy… KG and I ran the boardgaming group the cathedral…) Plus two rosaries.

Creative penances from Dominican friars who knew me well.
 
Two kinda come to mind. Not sure how unusual they are though.

Recently I was away, went to Confession, and the priest told me to read Psalm 51, which was different for me, but I liked it. Usually I get “Say ### Our Father’s and ### Hail Mary’s.”

Right before Easter, we had Confession on Good Friday, long line of people, and this little kid (probably in 3rd or 4th grade) came out of the Confessional all happy and telling people how he had to say 1 Our Father. It was cute. I go in, and get the same penance. I’m thinking okay, I won’t argue with you, but I confessed some mortal sins here, what did the kid do, we’re getting the same? alright.
 
I once had a priest tell me to go out to dinner with some friends that week. I’m not sure what he was thinking–probably, that he was giving me permission to have some fun. Or, maybe he thought I didn’t have enough balance in my life. But, I don’t think he knew how difficult it was to arrange–sitters, expense, finding an agreeable night…

I asked for another penance. He was surprised but gave me the usual 3 Hail Marys.

Another time, a priest told me to do a random act of kindness for a stranger. It threw me for a loop because at the time, I had little kids and wasn’t going out much or had any extra hands or money to do something for someone. Finally, I left some change in a vending machine and hoped it counted.

I’ve had priests tell me to meditate on something or other before. It’s fine to do that, but I’m not necessarily the best meditator and I feel vaguely anxious that my five or ten minutes of trying to meditate are adequate to count. I’d much rather have a rosary. It’s probably a good penance for me–being forced to meditate, that is.

Once, a confessor threatened me that if I didn’t do his penance–which was to think of ways not to do the particular sin I was struggling with (detraction)–his absolution wouldn’t count. I was so taken aback. I’m not sure why he thought I wouldn’t do my penance–I was certainly sincere…not my favorite confessor.

Just a handful of different penances.

One time, I was in line behind a pregnant lady who was looking a little green. As soon as she entered the confessional, she had to be sick in a waste bucket. There was a lot of scurrying around. Finally, I entered the confessional. Immediately, I told the priest whatever penance he had given that lady before me, I didn’t want. 😃
 
I haven’t, but a friend of mine told me about one of her penances. She was assigned a penance of spending time in prayer for our troops in the Middle East.
 
I went last week before morning Mass and confessed being a prayer slacker and having trouble finding quiet in the midst of family life.

My penance was to go and enjoy the quiet before Mass. To “bask” in the silence and let Jesus speak to me. I thought “that’s it”?? But it was powerful.

Part of his advice to me was to put some structure in my days - seriously lacking when I am not working. So in that context, I have been going early to Mass this week (instead of sliding in with 2 minutes to spare) so that I can pray in that quiet. Only thing is, not all parishes have silence before their Masses… But it is something that I would like to continue.

From this confessor, I have gotten a variety of penances - praying for a specific person, fasting, offering Mass/prayers/fasting in thanksgiving for God’s mercy/for the way God works through you…, thanking God for the differences (of a person I was disagreeing with). Never ever do I get “say 2 Hail Mary’s and an Our Father”.

I took my kids the other day. My 12 year old pops out of the confessional and says “Mom, I love you.” Then he puts my purse on the floor and picks it up. “OK, I’m done”. Meanwhile my 13 year old comes out and says, “He said to do something nice for one of your parents, but I’m going to do something nice for both of them.”

[Apologies to those who have heard this story before:] Our previous pastor always gave one “Our Father” as a penance. No matter the sin or sins. One time I had gone with my kids. My oldest was last and he knelt down to say his penance. Knowing full well what it was, after a few minutes, I leaved over and asked him if he was ready to go. He looks at me and says, “I think I have about 58 more minutes.” :confused:

:newidea: Ohhhh… He got the one Hour Father.
 
My college age son was told to go down to the parish book store and purchase a book and read the first chapter. Poor kid had to borrow money to do it, but he did.
 
Joannm said:
I was asked to bake a cake for my family once.

But my strangest penance was to say three things good about myself every day for a week and also to go out and do something nice for myself, like get a pedicure or manicure or my hair done. It was at a time when I was really putting myself down.
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*I like that penance! 😃

I think the baking the cake one is quite interesting. *
 
*Years ago, I had a tough confession. It came on the heels of my husband and I getting back together, which I felt a lot of guilt for initiating the separation (we were separated for a time and thinking of divorcing) which was for me to ‘forgive myself.’ At first, it seems easy, but sometimes, we confess our sins, and STILL beat ourselves up over the past. God forgives us, so we need to forgive ourselves. It was a very humbling lesson, one I never forgot.:o

To this day, I sometimes have a twinge of guilt over that separation. I just wish I didn’t put myself or husband through that. 😦 But, we grew from it, so it wasn’t completely foolish, I guess.*
 
Nick_in_MB said:
Two kinda come to mind. Not sure how unusual they are though.

Recently I was away, went to Confession, and the priest told me to read Psalm 51, which was different for me, but I liked it. Usually I get “Say ### Our Father’s and ### Hail Mary’s.”

Right before Easter, we had Confession on Good Friday, long line of people, and this little kid (probably in 3rd or 4th grade) came out of the Confessional all happy and telling people how he had to say 1 Our Father. It was cute. I go in, and get the same penance. I’m thinking okay, I won’t argue with you, but I confessed some mortal sins here, what did the kid do, we’re getting the same? alright.
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:rotfl:
 
Usually I get Our Fathers or Hail Marys… one time, I got the Hail Holy Queen.

But there are two priests I went to who gave me sort of creative penances. 😉
One asked me to say the Litany to St Joseph, and another time Litany to the Sacred Heart. I really liked that, it helped me.

Then another priest, I’ve only been to him twice, but one time he told me to thank God for 3 different things for 3 days in a row, and the second time I had to do something nice for my mom that she wouldn’t expect 😉 cause we had an argument 😦
scottywolf777 said:
The coolest one that a friend told me she recieved before she died of cancer was to every time she passed a crucifix to tell Jesus she loved him.
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I really like this one 🙂
 
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