Is it a sin to not do penance?

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Hawkeye916

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I went to confession awhile ago and my penance was to “do something nice for someone in the next day or so.” I found it to be very vague and somewhat difficult to do. I suppose in the week or so after I helped out around the house a bit more than I would have normally, but I’m concerned about the “day or so” limitation that was placed on it. Anyway, let’s just say that I didn’t do it at all. Is being lazy or not attentive and not completing your penance a sin in anyway? Or just a venial sin for that matter?
 
I don’t understand why you are having difficulty doing your penance. Whether it is a sin or not, why wouldn’t you just do it? It is not that difficult to do something nice for someone in your day, is it?
 
Irishmom2 said:
I don’t understand why you are having difficulty doing your penance. Whether it is a sin or not, why wouldn’t you just do it? It is not that difficult to do something nice for someone in your day, is it?
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I plan to now, I’m just wondering if my laziness and putting off doing it is a sin in anyway 🤔
 
Hawkeye916 said:
I went to confession awhile ago and my penance was to “do something nice for someone in the next day or so.” I found it to be very vague and somewhat difficult to do. I suppose in the week or so after I helped out around the house a bit more than I would have normally, but I’m concerned about the “day or so” limitation that was placed on it. Anyway, let’s just say that I didn’t do it at all. Is being lazy or not attentive and not completing your penance a sin in anyway? Or just a venial sin for that matter?
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Penance given by the priest is an obligation. If you could not hear properly the penance given or after Confession you forgot what it was then choose another penance to do.
If you deliberately refuse to do the penance that is a sin and must be confessed at your next Confession.
 
Is it a mortal sin? It was not so much as a “I’m not going to do it!!” It was more of a “eh I’ll do it later” and then just kind being lax about it.
 
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Confess it just in case, although I admit I’m a little puzzled.

As penances go, you got off pretty easy. Did you smile at anyone? Hold a door open for someone? Run a load of laundry for someone else? Actively listened to someone when you honestly would have rather been doing something else? For a practicing Catholic with a good heart, this really isn’t a hard penance. On the contrary, it should come naturally.

I can understand procrastinating on something like studying for an exam or weeding the garden bed. But procrastinating on kindness is more on par with putting off brushing your teeth or preparing your morning coffee.
 
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blackforest said:
As penances go, you got off pretty easy. Did you smile at anyone? Hold a door open for someone? Run a load of laundry for someone else? Actively listened to someone when you honestly would have rather been doing something else? For a practicing Catholic with a good heart, this really isn’t a hard penance. On the contrary, it should come naturally
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Well I mean I did a few small nice things here and there, I just don’t know if it was good enough
 
It is usually only a venial sin to not do your penance unless it was a big penance for many grave sins. I think you are fine. You tried and you still can try to do some good works to help people but stop worrying about whether or not you fulfilled your penance because it is not helpful
 
Read Matthew Kelly’s book, The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity. Spoiler alert: The lie is that we can never be holy. He advises us to live from Holy Moment to Holy Moment. Any act of kindness - or charity or sacrifice or beauty - however great or small, is one of many examples of a Holy Moment.

I wasn’t there, but I don’t think your priest is asking you to fly away on a mission to the Sudan or fund a massive housing project. Those acts of kindness you call “small nice things” are actually Holy Moments. Don’t be quick to dismiss them. 🙂

Talk to your priest to be sure. But unless you’re a complete sociopath - in which case you wouldn’t have posted here in the first place - I suspect you’ve fulfilled your penance already.
 
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Hawkeye916 said:
Well I mean I did a few small nice things here and there, I just don’t know if it was good enough
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You could always mention that at your next confession, whenever that may be; my hunch is just about any reasonable priest will say that yes, it was enough - because it’s about intention, not the legality of what “day or so” means or how you measure an act of kindness, as if that were possible.
 
thistle said:
If you deliberately refuse to do the penance that is a sin and must be confessed at your next Confession.
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It was more so my own laziness and procrastination and half hearted effort.

Also this would unlikely be a serious sin for me. Had I’ve known the severity and urgency of doing your penance, I would have absolutely done it quickly. I’ve always thought and been told that forgiveness was not contingent on a completed penance and that it is always good to do penance because it is a step towards making amends but that it was not entirely necessary. Either way I will discuss it with my confessor next week.
 
A question submitted along similar lines with the another provided by a Father Edward - Penance after Reconciliation: Implications of not fulfilling it!, in particular the paragraph beginning with “The ideal, of course, would have been for you”, mentions tardiness in doing the penance, whilst the following paragraph covers your particular question regarding is it a sin to not do ones penance.

Whilst there are people the world over who do not like or agree with Father Z and his posts, he does have one on Am I forgiven if I don’t do a penance assigned in confession?.
 
Hawkeye916 said:
I did a few small nice things here and there, I just don’t know if it was good enough
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Sometimes a priest will give a penance of meditating on a text in the Bible or “be good to your mother” type deal. And the issue is always am I done? Have I done my penance?
I prefer the traditional approach of receiving a set of prayers or a litany to recite (perhaps while pondering some of your sins). That way, when you’re done, you know you’re done.
 
Yes, that was my reading of the OP’s problem, the penance was vague and s/he was left unsure whether it had been done or not. More specific penances are probably better
 
Can. 981 The confessor is to impose salutary and appropriate penances, in proportion to the kind and number of sins confessed, taking into account, however, the condition of the penitent. The penitent is bound personally to fulfil these penances.
 
Hawkeye916 said:
I went to confession awhile ago and my penance was to “do something nice for someone in the next day or so.” I found it to be very vague and somewhat difficult to do. I suppose in the week or so after I helped out around the house a bit more than I would have normally, but I’m concerned about the “day or so” limitation that was placed on it. Anyway, let’s just say that I didn’t do it at all. Is being lazy or not attentive and not completing your penance a sin in anyway? Or just a venial sin for that matter?
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If you did more work around the house than usual with the intention of fulfilling the penance, then you fulfilled the penance.

If the penance was kept vague (which isn’t necessarily right or wrong) then that means there was room for interpretation on your part for how much you wanted to do.
 
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thistle said:
Can. 981 The confessor is to impose salutary and appropriate penances, in proportion to the kind and number of sins confessed, taking into account, however, the condition of the penitent. The penitent is bound personally to fulfil these penances
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Yes, I see that now. But what I was saying is that I was unaware of the urgency and importance of fulfilling the penance. I’ve always thought that, yes it should be completed but that forgiveness and absolution was not contingent upon it’s fulfillment. But that it was more of a good deed to help your soul to becoming more in line with God’s will. I did not know that it was a sin to not do it. A venial? Mortal? I still don’t know…
 
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