Have you ever received an unusual penance?

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Aramis said:
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.
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BTW what does the Glory be look like in Klingon? The priest must have been rather annoyed with you to give you such a penance.

Actually, the worst was to meditate on the Gospel of John. Took me 6 months before I could get it done so, I didn’t go to confession for 6 months. Odd thing I was mainly irritated with a college prof at the time. I think that was the worse sin in there. Kinda defeats the purpose of the sacrement when you think of it?
 
Last Saturday, the priest told me to pray for the grace to love confession.

Still waiting . . .
 
acadian said:
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”.
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:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: so sounds like something my kids would do!!!
 
My mother in law just the other day told us the story of when she took my son (now 27 but he was about 5 then) to church and confessions were going on. He was looking at the little lights on top turning red and green and asked my MIL where the elevators lead to and why do those who go in keep getting off on the same floor.
 
My most unusual penance was no penance at all. We had invited our pastor over for dinner a week or so before I went to confession. My kids were up to their usual antics. When I went to confession and it came time for penance he said to me “Raising your family is penance enough. I’m not going to give you any more!” 😃
 
Aramis said:
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.
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*I love these, what great ideas for penance! *
 
kristie_m said:
my most unusual penance was no penance at all. We had invited our pastor over for dinner a week or so before i went to confession. My kids were up to their usual antics. When i went to confession and it came time for penance he said to me “raising your family is penance enough. I’m not going to give you any more!” :d
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lol :d
 
stbruno said:
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.
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Priests aren’t supposed to give people penances that they can’t do for themselves. Surely he should’ve thought about the fact that young people don’t usually have money to spare!
 
acadian said:
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.
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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
 
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…😊
 
scottywolf777 said:
BTW what does the Glory be look like in Klingon? The priest must have been rather annoyed with you to give you such a penance.

Actually, the worst was to meditate on the Gospel of John. Took me 6 months before I could get it done so, I didn’t go to confession for 6 months. Odd thing I was mainly irritated with a college prof at the time. I think that was the worse sin in there. Kinda defeats the purpose of the sacrement when you think of it?
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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!
 
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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*Wow, that’s amazing!

I am trying to think if I have ever been asked to read something, can’t recall right now. I do remember when a priest told me not to shop for a month. :rolleyes: I didn’t say anything, and he laughed. The reason was because I was feeling like I was out of control with my spending habits, and he told me to take the money I’d spend on the mall and add it to my tithe. It was hard! Not the tithe, I strongly believe in tithing, but not shopping? For a month? I’d rather fast. 😃 BUT…Penance is really designed not for us to just do for one time, but rather, I think it’s to teach us something for a lifetime. It actually helped me curb my impulsive habits…impulsive decision making in ALL areas.

When I went back a few weeks later for another confession, I said…you’ll be happy to know, I managed to do the penance you gave me. He said, and you’ll be happy to know that God is happy with you. I then cried. :bighanky:*
 
whatevergirl said:
Wow, that’s amazing!

I am trying to think if I have ever been asked to read something, can’t recall right now. I do remember when a priest told me not to shop for a month. :rolleyes: I didn’t say anything, and he laughed. The reason was because I was feeling like I was out of control with my spending habits, and he told me to take the money I’d spend on the mall and add it to my tithe. It was hard! Not the tithe, I strongly believe in tithing, but not shopping? For a month? I’d rather fast. 😃 BUT…Penance is really designed not for us to just do for one time, but rather, I think it’s to teach us something for a lifetime. It actually helped me curb my impulsive habits…impulsive decision making in ALL areas.

When I went back a few weeks later for another confession, I said…you’ll be happy to know, I managed to do the penance you gave me. He said, and you’ll be happy to know that God is happy with you. I then cried. :bighanky:
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Code:
Isn’t our God the greatest God!😃
 
*Shoshana, did you like the diary? I mean, was it a flowing read? Sometimes diaries can be stiff and so forth…just curious. *
 
Shoshana said:
Code:
Isn’t our God the greatest God!😃
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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. :)*
 
whatevergirl said:
*Shoshana, did you like the diary? I mean, was it a flowing read? Sometimes diaries can be stiff and so forth…just curious. *
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Code:
Well, when I was told to read it, that was my FOURTH time at it. Being that I have a mystical tendency, I found it very easy to read. It is very simple and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Three times to boot! So when I told the priest that I had already read it THREE TIMES…he told me to read it again…:mad::o

If I lived close to you I would loan you mine. Try it…there is a lot of simple holiness there. Not stiff at all in my point of view…
 
Shoshana said:
Code:
Well, when I was told to read it, that was my FOURTH time at it. Being that I have a mystical tendency, I found it very easy to read. It is very simple and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Three times to boot! So when I told the priest that I had already read it THREE TIMES…he told me to read it again…:mad::o

😃 Why can I picture the look on your face?

If I lived close to you I would loan you mine. Try it…there is a lot of simple holiness there. Not stiff at all in my point of view…
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Thank you, I will!! :hug1:
 
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