Indulgences?

[Jennifer132]

This is probably a really ridiculous question to ask, but I truly don’t know, so I’m going to ask anyway. I read a little about indulgences and I think I understand what they are and what they are for. What I’m wondering is, do you just make your intention to gain one clear in your prayers and then go ahead and complete the requirements on your own, or do you need to be assigned one with a priest and then have your completion recorded somewhere?

 

[Ad_Orientem]

Not ridiculous at all. You just make the intention and fulfill the requirements to the best of your ability. You can also make a virtual intention without explicitly mentioning each indulgence, as the following one taken from a traditional Morning Offering: “I wish to gain all the indulgences attached to the prayers I shall say and to the good works I shall perform this day.”

 

[po18guy]

1. The Church has the power of binding and loosing, so therefore indulgences are real and legitimate, and merciful!
2. Read Hebrews 11. Each of the patriarchs named there, Sarah and even Rahab the prostitute, by faith gained God’s favor. Yet, each of them also did something by that faith which was pleasing to God. And so, by faith, we do things pleasing to God: confess, pray, do penance, etc.
3. God is the Divine Recorder of things you do by faith, and sins which, by faith, you are released from. Since you are the only one who will answer for your sins, only you need know that you have complied with the minimum requirements of the Church for an indulgence. You may always do more than that.

Here is a video by Fr. Andrew Apostoli on the subject of merit before God: youtube.com/watch?v=3_fY7nymdC4

 

[AveOTheotokos]

No recording needed, as God makes a record of it for you Just firmly fix your attention on him and complete the requirements, and then you can feel wonderful for the rest of the day!

 

[Vico]

This is probably a really ridiculous question to ask, but I truly don’t know, so I’m going to ask anyway. I read a little about indulgences and I think I understand what they are and what they are for. What I’m wondering is, do you just make your intention to gain one clear in your prayers and then go ahead and complete the requirements on your own, or do you need to be assigned one with a priest and then have your completion recorded somewhere?

There are two types of indulgences, partial and plenary, and also there are two kinds of partial indulges: the four general grants, and the specific grants.

The four general grants are:

• Raising the mind to God with humble trust while performing one’s duties and bearing life’s difficulties, and adding, at least mentally, some pious invocation.
• Devoting oneself or one’s goods compassionately in a spirit of faith to the service of one’s brothers and sisters in need.
• Freely abstaining in a spirit of penance from something licit and pleasant.
• Freely giving open witness to one’s faith before others in particular circumstances of everyday life.

So there is the merit from a partial indulgence includes your part plus an equal amount that the Church adds, and it is based on how perfectly it is done.

From the 1967 Indulgentarium Doctrina:

Since by their acts the faithful can obtain, in addition to the merit which is the principal fruit of the act, a further remission of temporal punishment in proportion to the degree to which the charity of the one performing the act is greater, and in proportion to the degree to which the act itself is performed in a more perfect way, it has been considered fitting that this remission of temporal punishment which the Christian faithful acquire through an action should serve as the measurement for the remission of punishment which the ecclesiastical authority bountifully adds by way of partial indulgence.