B
belange
Guest
I just came into the church last year and am still learning about the faith. What is a penance service? Also, how is a “service” different from a mass? Thank you
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G
Gorgias
Guest
There are a few different forms of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The one we’re most accustomed to is individual confession (usually, in a confessional in a church).
However, another form – which is encountered most often at Advent and at Lent – is a communal penance service. In this service (which is not a ‘Mass’ – there’s no Liturgy of the Eucharist), there are prayers, readings, (sometimes) a homily, and perhaps a prayer that expresses our contrition. Then, there is the opportunity to go for individual confession (again, usually in a confessional) in order to receive sacramental absolution. Finally, there is a closing prayer and a dismissal (although, to tell the truth, this ‘ending’ rarely happens – Catholics are too accustomed to leaving church after individual confession, so they generally just leave after receiving absolution!).
So, this is just another form for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The communal ‘service’ itself doesn’t take the place of individual confession, nor does it give sacramental absolution; that only happens in individual confession, which is generally offered in the context of the service.
Does that help?
However, another form – which is encountered most often at Advent and at Lent – is a communal penance service. In this service (which is not a ‘Mass’ – there’s no Liturgy of the Eucharist), there are prayers, readings, (sometimes) a homily, and perhaps a prayer that expresses our contrition. Then, there is the opportunity to go for individual confession (again, usually in a confessional) in order to receive sacramental absolution. Finally, there is a closing prayer and a dismissal (although, to tell the truth, this ‘ending’ rarely happens – Catholics are too accustomed to leaving church after individual confession, so they generally just leave after receiving absolution!).
So, this is just another form for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The communal ‘service’ itself doesn’t take the place of individual confession, nor does it give sacramental absolution; that only happens in individual confession, which is generally offered in the context of the service.
Does that help?
G
GEddie
Guest
“A service” is a liturgical procedure that is not the Mass.
Therefore, you have penance services, Communion services (where the Sacrament is given out but there is no Consecration), etc.
ICXC NIKA
Therefore, you have penance services, Communion services (where the Sacrament is given out but there is no Consecration), etc.
ICXC NIKA
U
Usige
Guest
At least in my area penance services usually include priests from all the local churches that come together to offer reconciliation to large numbers of people. So instead of our two priests hearing confession for 45 minutes, we might have 8 to 12 priests hearing confession for 2-3+ hours that evening. We generally have one or two of the retired priest in the area there also. They then each do the same in the other 4 or 5 parishes. The goal is to allow as many people as possible to go to confession before Easter. With 12 priest for 3 hours you could likely get 400-500 confessions each night. This is as opposed to the 20 or 30 that can make it during our once a week chance at reconciliation.
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