- Should I perform acts of penace everday?
That’s a wonderful attitude! There’s no reason not to perform an act of penance on any given day. Granted, there are days in the Church year when our hearts and minds are not turned toward penance but rejoicing (e.g. Easter, Christmas, Pentecost), but there is no rule that says “No penance allowed on these days…”
- Is it right to say to God, “I’m offering up this penance for…eg conversion of sinners” or do I not need to tell God as He already knows.
God already knows, but a big part of prayer is instilling good habits in the person praying. Jesus knows I love Him, so should I not say “I love you, Jesus” anymore? The more you explicitly announce your intentions to God, the more you pray, the easier it will be to have a habit of prayer and a habit of meaningful penance.
- Is penance an act of ‘going without’ so that one learns to put their own wills last and God’s Will first? Or have I misunderstood!
Penance is a very wide term. One form of penance is
mortification, a form of Christian asceticism, the practice of self-discipline and penance to overcome sinful tendencies and grow in virtue. The word comes from the Latin mortificatio, which means “a killing; a putting to death.” St. Paul wrote of the practice to the Romans: “put to death the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13) and “make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Rom. 13:14) To the Corinthians, he wrote: “I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Cor. 9:27) And to the Colossians, the same: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.” (Col. 3:5)
If you enjoy reading – well, even if you don’t – and you’d like to hear what a couple recent popes had to say about penance, I recommend reading Bl. John XXIII’s
Paenitentiam Agere and Paul VI’s
Paenitemini. Of course, there’s always
the Catechism of the Catholic Church, too.
- As for fasting, Why do we fast? I know our dear Lord did for 40 days but what is the reason for fasting?
In St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he admonished some of them for eating and drinking (and getting drunk!) when they assembled for worship, while others were going hungry. (cf. 1 Cor. 11:20-21) Avoiding normal food before receiving Communion helps to remind us just what it is we are receiving in this sacrament, and to approach the Eucharist with proper reverence. St. Justin Martyr, writing to the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar in the 2nd century, explained that “not as common bread and common drink do we receive” the Eucharist, but that it is “the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh.” (Apology I, 66)
Fasting is also a traditional Christian mortification (a discipline of bodily self-denial). Mortifications serve to subject our bodily desires to our spiritual needs. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians “I pommel my body and subdue it,” because he was aware that his bodily urges could jeopardize his spiritual well-being. (1 Cor. 9:27) Fasting was practiced by numerous figures in the Bible – such as Moses, Elijah, and Jesus – to prepare themselves for what was to come. By putting aside our corporal need for food and drink – especially if we fast for more than just an hour before receiving Communion – we can use our bodies’ natural reaction of hunger to stir up in our souls the spiritual hunger we should have for our spiritual food, the Body and Blood of our Lord. We fast while we wait for Jesus, the bridegroom, and that fast ends when we receive the bridegroom in Holy Communion. (cf. Luke 5:34-35)
(That addresses fasting before Communion, for the most part. But fasting is done at other times, as a form of penance, as a spiritual discipline. I would say that the basic idea of fasting is to remind yourself, through your bodily appetites, that you depend on God for your sustenance and well-being.)
I had read up on this alittle while back and I thought I understood, but now I’m abit unsure and really hope you can set me straight on this! Thanks ever so much.