Penance

[USMC_Convert]

So here is a question for ya, I went to confession and I made a good confession, however after leaving the confessional I got really distracted, and I immediately left church. So later on I realized that I did not say my penance. Worse yet I forgot what the priest told me to say for my penance!!! I think I remember what it was so I said that, but I don’t know if it was the right prayers.

So no problem, go back and ask the priest what to do right, well problem is that I had a priest who isn’t normally around, like maybe once every month or two he comes to help out with stuff around the parish.

So how to proceed? Am I good? Can I receive? Do I have to wait until next week to go to confession and check with my normal priest?

What to do…

 

[peter26]

I’d go with what you would typically get for a penance. Three Hail Marys or whatever is normally is.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

So here is a question for ya, I went to confession and I made a good confession, however after leaving the confessional I got really distracted, and I immediately left church. So later on I realized that I did not say my penance. Worse yet I forgot what the priest told me to say for my penance!!! I think I remember what it was so I said that, but I don’t know if it was the right prayers.

So no problem, go back and ask the priest what to do right, well problem is that I had a priest who isn’t normally around, like maybe once every month or two he comes to help out with stuff around the parish.

So how to proceed? Am I good? Can I receive? Do I have to wait until next week to go to confession and check with my normal priest?

What to do…

Of course, you may receive Communion. It is not necessary to complete the penance before you receive the Eucharist…merely to have accepted the penance imposed.

The simplest thing to do is to inform your next confessor that you forgot the penance in a moment of distraction and that you did what you thought it was but, since you are not sure, you are asking him to commute the penance. Any confessor has that power, including for penances that he did not assign. And it leaves you with no doubt.

 

[PassingSoul]

So here is a question for ya, I went to confession and I made a good confession, however after leaving the confessional I got really distracted, and I immediately left church. So later on I realized that I did not say my penance. Worse yet I forgot what the priest told me to say for my penance!!! I think I remember what it was so I said that, but I don’t know if it was the right prayers.

So no problem, go back and ask the priest what to do right, well problem is that I had a priest who isn’t normally around, like maybe once every month or two he comes to help out with stuff around the parish.

So how to proceed? Am I good? Can I receive? Do I have to wait until next week to go to confession and check with my normal priest?

What to do…

Say the Rosary and you can’t go wrong in fulfilling your penance.

 

[USMC_Convert]

Sweet! Thanks!!!

 

[exnihilo]

This happened to me last Saturday. I was really flustered at confession and immediately forgot the penance which was probably an Our Father or Hail Mary or both. I said both. I took communion on Sunday because as Don Ruggero says it is not necessary to complete the penance before you receive. Yesterday I went to confession and told the priest I had forgotten my penance. He said my penance a bit louder and then said ‘so you won’t forget’ in a kindly voice.

 

[USMC_Convert]

this happened to me last saturday. I was really flustered at confession and immediately forgot the penance which was probably an our father or hail mary or both. I said both. I took communion on sunday because as don ruggero says it is not necessary to complete the penance before you receive. Yesterday i went to confession and told the priest i had forgotten my penance. He said my penance a bit louder and then said ‘so you won’t forget’ in a kindly voice.

lol

 

[LordHaveMercy]

Of course, you may receive Communion. It is not necessary to complete the penance before you receive the Eucharist…merely to have accepted the penance imposed.

The simplest thing to do is to inform your next confessor that you forgot the penance in a moment of distraction and that you did what you thought it was but, since you are not sure, you are asking him to commute the penance. Any confessor has that power, including for penances that he did not assign. And it leaves you with no doubt.

Yes I have done this as well. Next time you are in confession, just bring it up. As I understand, there is no need to rush back to confession for this purpose, just go whenever you would have gone had you remembered your penance, and no need to search out the same priest. We do this out of love for God, not fear that the sacraments won’t work if we forget something!!! Plus the priest may have some great tips for how to remember next time.