Pennace

[rnlane]

Would a priest ever assign receiving the eucharist as a pennance?

 

[Godfollower]

I wouldn’t think so. Penance is usually some act of atonement by way of apology for sin, and it’s usually a burden of some sort (though the level of burden might be slight) – so, apologizing to the person you insulted, saying a prayer to God, returning the item you stole, etc.

Receiving the Eucharist is an incredible blessing; it isn’t a burden in any way.

I can see how a priest might instruct the penitent to receive the Eucharist in response to a problem the penitent is having (“You’ve refused to go to Communion because you were late to work one day and you consider that a mortal sin? I’ve told you before about your problem with scrupulosity. Say ___ prayers. And I want you to go to Communion this evening”). But that’s a pastoral instruction, not a penance.

IMHO, that is.

 

[lilies]

i do believe sometimes a priest told me to go to communion as penance only to be aware howmuch god loves me to forgive my sins.

 

[datingtrappists]

A few months back, I approached the priest after a daily Mass (along with someone else) to go to confession, and this was part of that penance. After we both were done, we finished that part of our penance right there, just him and the both of us, kneeling right at the edge of the sanctuary.

 

[lilies]

blessings be given you!

 

[Digitonomy]

Penance is usually some act of atonement by way of apology for sin, and it’s usually a burden of some sort (though the level of burden might be slight) – so, apologizing to the person you insulted, saying a prayer to God, returning the item you stole, etc.

Receiving the Eucharist is an incredible blessing; it isn’t a burden in any way.

I think any obligation given as penance is a burden in the strict sense. However, I don’t think most of us look at receiving the Eucharist as a burden, nor saying an Our Father.

 

[AJV]

I wouldn’t think so. Penance is usually some act of atonement by way of apology for sin, and it’s usually a burden of some sort (though the level of burden might be slight) – so, apologizing to the person you insulted, saying a prayer to God, returning the item you stole, etc.

Receiving the Eucharist is an incredible blessing; it isn’t a burden in any way.

I can see how a priest might instruct the penitent to receive the Eucharist in response to a problem the penitent is having (“You’ve refused to go to Communion because you were late to work one day and you consider that a mortal sin? I’ve told you before about your problem with scrupulosity. Say ___ prayers. And I want you to go to Communion this evening”). But that’s a pastoral instruction, not a penance.

IMHO, that is.

I have had this, as part of a larger penance, several times from different confessors e.g. “say three Hail Mary’s for the intercession of our Blessed Mother, read the Gospel of…and offer the next Mass and receive Communion for the grace of…”

In any case, it’s always good to keep in mind that the penance assigned by the priest does not remit the temporal punishment. We still have to continue to do works of prayers and penitence, and the Church assists us in this through indulgences.