Have you ever received an unusual penance?

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It’s not a strange one, but caught me off guard. This was the odd part about it; something along the lines if: “Pray one Our Father and pay attention.” I’d never really thought about that - I just prayed the prayers I was given, but the Our Father has had more importance since I actually went through every single word slowly. Go figure:D.

Pax.
 
JSSebastianoP said:
It’s not a strange one, but caught me off guard. This was the odd part about it; something along the lines if: “Pray one Our Father and pay attention.” I’d never really thought about that - I just prayed the prayers I was given, but the Our Father has had more importance since I actually went through every single word slowly. Go figure:D.

Pax.
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Hey, that is different…I think that we sometimes have a tendency to not fully pay attention. :o That’s great!
 
I’ve had a few unusual penances…

A few months ago, I was helping my mom and aunt care of my now late grandmother in the final weeks of her life… I was overstressed, hadn’t slept properly, and was running on about a gallon of coffee a day (and was feeling seriously close to breaking down). My penance was to limit myself to only 3 cups of coffee a day, and to take a half-our nap. He added that if I could to go outside and take a walk, even if it was for a few minutes. My grandmother still lived for about a week after that penance, and I feel that the penance helped me to still function and be a help to my family.

When I first told Fr., back in January, that I felt I had a calling to religious life (actually, it was more of me stammering for about 5 minutes, and then asking him how HE knew he had a calling :rolleyes: :o), my first penance after me telling him that was to pray the First Joyful Mystery… of the Blessed Virgin Mary answering God’s call for her… 🙂

Another time, I was having trouble with desparing of God’s mercy. I was to kiss a crucifix 10 times before I went to bed. I can’t remember the exact quote, but it was something to the effect that a crucifix is the only proof needed of God’s love for us.

I was having temptations of canceling a very important doctor’s appointment (very much needed for me to not neglect my health). I was telling Fr. just HOW much I did not want to go through with it, and repeated it several times. He just pointed to the crucifix and asked, “Do you think that tickled?”. That shut me right up. 😊 :o I was assigned the First Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary, and thought about the Agony (couldn’t meditate on it) for most of that appointment. It actually wasn’t as bad as I was fearing, but Jesus was with me, so all was well.

E
 
whatevergirl said:
Aw What a sweet story! I like adding structure to your off work days…why do you suppose he chose that as a penance? What was the problem with lack of structure? I’m curious, because when I have appts and things to do, or to take the kids here and there on my days off, I find I am functioning at my best. When I have a lot of down time with ‘nothing to do,’ I tend to become lazy. 😊 Just curious as to why he suggested that for you. Thanks for sharing, your kids sound so adorable. :o
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Long answer: The suggestion to add some structure to my days was part of his pastoral advice, not my penance. (Just clarifying ;)) I teach, so during school, my days are packed as full as I think they can be. But, like you, I get so much more done. I might pray Morning Prayer in the parking lot, but it gets prayed. Then vacations and summer come along, and other things (like the computer) get in the way, and the laundry from yesterday is still in the dryer and I’m turning off the light at midnight, and Evening Prayer hasn’t even been thought of.

So I told him that other things are getting in the way of prayer and that it seems to be a problem that pops up during times when I am “free”. He told me that it is good to have certain things occur at certain times. That the whole day does not need to be structured, but that I will get more done if part of it is.

Of course he has been right. I consistently get great advice from him, when he feels moved to give advice. I sat down at Adoration the next evening and listed the things I want to get done in the course of a day, and assigned them a time. The implementation hasn’t been perfect, but at least I’m working with a roadmap now!

Short answer: Because he is a wise man. 🙂
 
whatevergirl said:
He is! It’s weird, I don’t have the impulsive spending habits I used to…see that’s the beauty of regular confession, the experience is not only what Jesus calls us to do…BUT, it cleanses our minds, and we are free to make wiser decisions. :)*
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It’s the grace we get there in confession, isn’t it? Sometimes I think I might have something “under control” but when I confess it anyway, things always get better. Proof that God works in my life.
 
Shoshana said:
I had to read the whole diary of St Faustina…again! :whistle:

Although the reconciliation ceremony was so beautiful! The priest put his stole around my shoulders as I confessed. Such an intimate way of confessing…😊
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To me that seems a bit excessive for a penance. How long would it take you to complete the penance? It took me two months to read that book, I mean to really READ it, not just read through it.
 
whatevergirl said:
Absolution isn’t contingent upon memorizing a psalm though, or performing a penance? I’m confused. Suppose you had forgotten some of it? 😊😛
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I don’t know the answer to your questions, but I was bound and determined to carry through with the penance. The reconcilitaion where I recited the psalm back to him was the one I did the most preparation for. It made me focus really well on my examination of conscience.

Eddie Mac
 
Eddie_Mac said:
I don’t know the answer to your questions, but I was bound and determined to carry through with the penance. The reconcilitaion where I recited the psalm back to him was the one I did the most preparation for. It made me focus really well on my examination of conscience.

Eddie Mac
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No no, I understand that…I agree, in that regard…I’m just wondering though…were you not given absolution and asked to come back after you were able to recite it by memory? When we go to confession, and make a true act of contrition, the priest should not refuse to absolve us unless we perform ‘xyz’, I mean, suppose something happened to you between the time you visited him and the next time you were to come back? But, I’ll wait for you to reply, to make sure I’m understanding this right! 😃
 
Aramis said:
That was 20 years ago… I forget.

redoing it, as my original notes are 6 moves lost.

jaH’a’, vavma’duq puqloDlIduq qa’lIduq batlh’a’ pInobqaqu’taHqu’ .

Which seems to be pretty close to what I remember using. But I’m out of practice.
Breaking it down:
  • jaH’a’ = Great Lord, aka God
  • vavma’duq = to our father* vav = father
  • ma’ = thing which uses language and is ours
  • duq = locative suffix (to/around/near)
  • puqloDlIduq = to your son* puqloD = son
  • lI = your thing which uses language
  • duq = locative suffix (to/around/near)
  • qa’lIduq = to your spirit* qa’ = spirit
  • lI = your thing which uses language
  • duq = locative suffix (to/around/near)
  • batlh’a’ =great glory
  • pInobqaqu’taHqu’ = we to you give again! and Continuously!* pI = we to you
  • pInob = we to you give
  • qaqu’ = emphatic again!
  • taHqu’ = emphatic Continuously!
I think perhaps the object should be before the locatives (to …), but my dictionaries are not to hand, but the emphasis on the locatives… and the you singular conjugation.

Hmm… I just geeked out again!
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Do you end with Amen, or Qapla?
And did I spell that right?
 
Nick_in_MB said:
Do you end with Amen, or Qapla?
And did I spell that right?
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Neither. Amen means “I believe it” or “We Belive it”, or more colloquially, “It is truth”

wIHar (We believe it.)
wIvIt (We tell the truth about it) would be as good.

Typo correction time.
joH’a’, batlh’a’ vavma’duq puqloDlIduq qa’lIduq pInobqaqu’taHqu’. wIHar.

and joH’a’ has a synonym: jaw’a’, but that synonym has a homophone of “is chatting?”… (noun jaw=lord, ‘a’= emphatic; verb jaw = chat, 'a = interogative)
 
Aramis said:
Neither. Amen means “I believe it” or “We Belive it”, or more colloquially, “It is truth”

wIHar (We believe it.)
wIvIt (We tell the truth about it) would be as good.

Typo correction time.
joH’a’, batlh’a’ vavma’duq puqloDlIduq qa’lIduq pInobqaqu’taHqu’. wIHar.

and joH’a’ has a synonym: jaw’a’, but that synonym has a homophone of “is chatting?”… (noun jaw=lord, ‘a’= emphatic; verb jaw = chat, 'a = interogative)
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Fascinating (I find it so as I’m a bit of a polyglot myself) …

Pax.
 
whatevergirl said:
No no, I understand that…I agree, in that regard…I’m just wondering though…were you not given absolution and asked to come back after you were able to recite it by memory? When we go to confession, and make a true act of contrition, the priest should not refuse to absolve us unless we perform ‘xyz’, I mean, suppose something happened to you between the time you visited him and the next time you were to come back? But, I’ll wait for you to reply, to make sure I’m understanding this right! 😃
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He gave me absolution and did not place any provisions on my absolution. As I recall he said that if I didn’t do it that I would know it and so would God. It was an honor thing. Jesus forgave my sins and I did my penance. I figured a little memorization now instead of more time in the cleansing fire. I was actually in a hurry to go back for reconciliation so I could prove what I did.

Thanks for the reconciliation thread. We need more of these.

Eddie Mac
 
I tend to bounce around when it comes to confession; I don’t go to the same parish every week. It’s not that I have anything embarrassing to say, I just enjoy visiting different parishes.

But one of the pastors at my home parish always tells me to pray before Mass as my penance. I want to tell him that I do this anyways, but I don’t have enough courage to ask for another penance (I’m still a new Catholic).

Not really that unusual, but just thought I’d share.
 
The ONLY time I ever get a penance of “Three Hail Mary’s” is when I happen to confess to this elderly Cuban priest who sometimes helps out in the confessional.

The vast majority of my priest’s penances for me are to pray a 5-decade rosary for the dying, especially those who have no one else to pray for them. I think that is quite meaningful.

I don’t like those “three hail Mary’s” penances because I think
that they trivialize the Sacrament.
 
My confessor almost always gives me the same penance, but those times when he gets creative it’s really meaningful…and sometimes a little painful!!
 
Eddie_Mac said:
He gave me absolution and did not place any provisions on my absolution. As I recall he said that if I didn’t do it that I would know it and so would God. It was an honor thing. Jesus forgave my sins and I did my penance. I figured a little memorization now instead of more time in the cleansing fire. I was actually in a hurry to go back for reconciliation so I could prove what I did.

Thanks for the reconciliation thread. We need more of these.

Eddie Mac
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*Oh oh, I understand now. I apologize for not understanding at first. 😊

Thanks for chiming in here, we need more good stories like these and the others that have been shared here! 👍*
 
kristie_m said:
My confessor almost always gives me the same penance, but those times when he gets creative it’s really meaningful…and sometimes a little painful!!
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Yes, no doubt! I have felt the same when I was going through them, if they were more on the çreative side, but you know, those were the penances that kept me from making the same mistakes (sins) twice! :o;)
 
This has been a wonderful thread to read!!! Great idea w-g!

I was feeling a bit crummy about life in general, snappy at my husband, and just generally grumpy. I was told to meditate about all the goodness and blessings in my life, starting as far back as I could remember!!! :eek: It was like “this is your life” - but only the good parts. I cried, I laughed, and I had to force myself to stay on track and not get pulled off in the weeds with the bad things that have happened. It really was a good penance and made me realize just how wonderful my life really is and how incredibly blessed I am.

Pray for holy priests - they need our prayers!!

~Liza
 
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