Is this my penance?

[samuelng]

Hi,

I wasn’t sure where to post this, so apologies if this is the wrong forum.

My question is regarding a confession I made quite a while ago (about 1-2 months ago). The priest in this confession told me to spend less time on the internet and do more outdoor activities (or at least that’s what I think he said). I wasn’t sure if he said this was my penance or not. Other than this, I don’t recall that he told me anything else about a penance. Then again, he had a strong accent that made it difficult for me to understand what he was saying at times. Knowing this information, would you say that I should spend less time on the internet and do more outdoor activities as my penance or should I trust that the penance was already made by the priest himself? I understand that not completing a penance is grave matter when it is given for absolution of mortal sin(s).

If this matters, I am scrupulous (on and off).

Thanks very much,
Samuel.

 

[Regina7]

If the priest said to spend less time on the internet and more time outdoors, listen to him. It seems that based on what you said in confession, this will serve you well.

 

[MaryT777]

I agree with Regina. Spending less time on the Internet and more time outdoors is good advice for everyone actually.

Mary.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

That was advice, not a penance. A penance is not so open-ended, it will be well-defined so that you know when it is ended. If a penance seems vague you are well within your rights to ask for clarification.

 

[InNomineDomini]

A penance is not so open-ended, it will be well-defined so that you know when it is ended.

Yes, well said.

If you genuinely can’t remember what your penance was, I think it’s a good idea to seek counsel the next time you’re in Confession. In the meantime, perform some other penance, and don’t worry.

Willfully refusing to perform a penance is one thing. Being confused about one’s penance is quite another. Sometimes, in Confession, our minds don’t even think to ask clarifying questions on the spot, and we only realize this later. That sort of thing is not malicious and it’s not an evil intent we would be culpable for. It’s just us being absent-minded given our human restrictions.

And, as Mary_Ellen alluded to, it would be a bit odd for a priest to assign a penance that you would basically have to do forever. Penances may sometimes require a bit of effort, especially for serious sins, but certainly not something that would take a lifetime to complete.

(As an aside, one of my favorite questions from Catholic Answers Live was along these lines. A caller claimed his priests assigned him a penance of something like 10 Rosaries a day for the next ten years, and he was wondering if that was a bit of overkill. If you’re interested, it was in this episode, after about 48:40 minutes.)

 

[AKDee]

If you’re truly uncertain about this bring it up in your next confession. My understanding is any priest can release you from a penance if you don’t have any way to complete it. I tend to agree with the others that this wasn’t your penance but rather advice- my confessors always tell me “this is your penance” and then announce it. Anything that comes before that is spiritual advice.

 

[CB_Catholic]

A priest I confessed to once told me to “eat healthy and get plenty of exercise” at the end of my Confession. I did not take this to be a penance, but good advice.

On the other hand, a priest once told me to perform a good deed for someone–that was my penance. I could not perform it immediately, which is ok, but I was expected to perform it in a reasonable amount of time.

Nonetheless, your sins are absolved at the absolution, not after you have done the penance. Sometimes people are confused about this and worry themselves unnecessarily that their sins were not forgiven and absolved because they were not able to complete their penance right away.

 

[porthos11]

I hate penances like this.

Pray more. Be good. Have more exercise. Spend less time on the Internet.

Sheesh. That’s advice, not a penance. Penances should be something that can be COMPLETED, so that people have no doubt that their obligation has been fulfilled.

Pray FIVE Our Fathers. Serve at the soup kitchen ONCE. Hear THREE Masses. Fast TONIGHT.

Penances are something to worry about because one cannot dismiss them. Absolution is not dependent on a penance, but deliberate failure to do a penance is a new sin and must be mentioned at the next confession: I failed to perform my penance. Vague, open-ended penances do nothing for one’s peace of mind and conscience.