Please help clarify a term for me

[Tommy999]

Very interesting. Thanks again, Sariaru.

 

[Tommy999]

Just curious if someone could describe some of the typical penances prescribed at Reconciliation for some of the more common mortal and venial sins. For example, would it be stuff like “Read the Gospel of John two times” , “Say Five ‘Our Fathers’”, or “Go and serve at Meals on Wheels for a week” and stuff like that? Just wondering from the outside looking in…

Tom

 

[Sariaru]

Just curious if someone could describe some of the typical penances prescribed at Reconciliation for some of the more common mortal and venial sins. For example, would it be stuff like “Read the Gospel of John two times” , “Say Five ‘Our Fathers’”, or “Go and serve at Meals on Wheels for a week” and stuff like that? Just wondering from the outside looking in…

Tom

I’ve gotten anywhere from one Hail Mary to a whole rosary depending on how much, ah, baggage I walked in with, hehe. I’m sort of kidding. Many priests fall into two broad, broad “camps,” concerning the severity of penance. Some, emphasising that our prayers cannot win any more for us than the free gift of the Cross, will offer consistently light penances, such as one Hail Mary, or one Our Father. Others will emphasise that while penance doesn’t make God forgive us any more or less, it is enormously useful to help train our wills not to do it again and to help focus on our contrition and sorrow. These priests will offer a more scaling penance to the number and kind of sins. The Hail Mary is an important penitential prayer for its last line, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.”

So going in and confessing roughly the same baggage (sinful habits, hurray) to different priests has gotten me anywhere from one Hail Mary to a whole Rosary. If the sin involved is something that requires restitution (such as violence, theft), part of your penance often includes giving back to the individual wronged. But in all my times on the hotseat, I’ve always just gotten prayers with additional things perhaps to focus or meditate on from Scriptures. A very helpful priest in a more traditional (FSSP) parish also gave me a few ways I can do non-prayer penance, often called mortification, but in little tiny ways! Not like a scourge or hot coals or anything.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I think the most common penances are something like three Our Fathers or three Hail Marys.

My spiritual director is also my confessor and comes up with much more creative things that actually apply to my life.

Take some time each day for the next week to think about the blessings in your life and thank God for them.

Take some time each day for the next week to try to see (either someone else or myself) the way God sees them and loves them.

Meditate on the gospel in Matthew 16 where Jesus tells Peter to “get behind me, Satan.” Think about how Peter needed to change his attitude and how you need to change your own.

 

[His_helpmeet]

Just curious if someone could describe some of the typical penances prescribed at Reconciliation for some of the more common mortal and venial sins. For example, would it be stuff like “Read the Gospel of John two times” , “Say Five ‘Our Fathers’”, or “Go and serve at Meals on Wheels for a week” and stuff like that? Just wondering from the outside looking in…

Tom

Indeed. In most cases I’ve gotten prayers, in some cases good works.

To expound further on your other questions:

1. The priest, as the PPs have stated, is permanently bound by the seal of the confessional. You might like to look up St. John Nepomucene. He was martyred by the king for refusing to reveal the queen’s confession. That said, the penitent (the person confessing) is NOT bound to keep secret his own sins, or any advice given to him by the priest - that can be shared. (A priest told a friend of mine that he’s been given a special grace - the minute you walk out of the confessional, he forgets EVERYTHING you just told him.)
2. Generally, you have the choice of confessing behind a screen or face-to-face. This depends, though, somewhat, on the nature of the confessional (or Reconciliation Room as it’s called in some parishes) or wherever the priest is hearing confessions. Some confessionals are designed so that there’s a screen next to the priest when you first walk in, but you can walk around and face him sitting in a chair if you wish. Generally, at Easter and Christmas, most parishes will have communal penitential services. There will be readings, prayers, and an opportunity for personal Confession. Often several priests attend these services. One will be in the confessional and the others will be seated on chairs in private areas. This way you can pick the line-up based on whether or not you want a face-to-face confession. (Incidentally, a confession can be heard anywhere, so long as there is privacy. I’ve gone to confession in confessionals, the sacristy, the priest’s office, and even in chairs sitting on the lawn in a private place. A priest once told us at Mass that he’d been going to the hospital for shoulder surgery and was driven there by a fellow priest who’s party of his religious community. He turned to his fellow priest when they got there and said, “Will you hear my confession?” I believe, based on what he told us, that he confessed right there in the car.)

Some of the PPs have alluded to it, but in case you were wondering, Confession isn’t necessarily just used for confessing your sins. Some people book an appointment with Father to hear their confession, and also to seek spiritual guidance. This is particularly a good idea if you always go to the same priest for confession (you don’t have to; ANY priest who’s been given faculties can hear confessions).

 

[Tommy999]

Thanks for the additional replies, Sariaru, SuscipeMeDomine, and His_helpmeet. That info really helps me get a better picture of what it is like. Thanks!

 

[pablope]

Hahaha, don’t we all? One of my old confessors (when I was living in Florida) actually shared that he had a very special grace wherein he would forget everything said in the confessional, so that it wouldn’t stain his thoughts about his penitents! Much like how when Christ forgives our sins, they are totally obliterated and forgotten! I don’t think all priests have this grace (although if a priest wants to pop in and give his opinion, us laity are all dying to know), but I thought that was very cool and special.

I second this…one of my aunts actually asked a priest, very close to the family…this question as to what happens after confession…he said he forgets everything said in the confessional…he could not remember.

 

[pablope]

Just curious if someone could describe some of the typical penances prescribed at Reconciliation for some of the more common mortal and venial sins. For example, would it be stuff like “Read the Gospel of John two times” , “Say Five ‘Our Fathers’”, or “Go and serve at Meals on Wheels for a week” and stuff like that? Just wondering from the outside looking in…

Tom

The most memorable I can remember, and actually hit me…is to pray for the offender, or the one that you offended.

Anyway, I would recommend this book by Scott Hahn, for further reading…**Lord Have Mercy. **