Please help me with ideas for making acts of reparation

[mary15]

Please help me, a newbie Catholic with both definitions of, as well as making acts of, reparation for my sins.

I have become aware of my wounding His Sacred Heart as well as harming others through my actions or what I have failed to do, and am not aware of all the concepts and ideas regarding how to make an act of reparation.

Will doing these things also restore Justice?

Please feel free to post any helpful videos on this OP, as well as images and prayers, and any other helpful items such as lists.

Thank you so kindly ahead of time, for your help.

PAX

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I don’t understand your question. If you sin, you go to confession. If you want to think of your penance as an act of reparation, that’s fine. But you don’t have to go out and do something else.

I suppose if there were a situation where you did some specific harm to someone, you would want to try to make it right. For example, if you stole some money from someone, you pay it back.

But really, in general, just go to confession, do your penance, and try not to sin again. That’s about it.

 

[Peonies]

I like the Golden Arrow Prayer, which is traditionally said in reparation for blasphemy and for the profanation of Sundays.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Edited to add: Some translations say “under the earth” instead of “in hell.” It is my understanding that “in the hells” is actually the closest to the original French the prayer came from.

 

[mary15]

I Had thought that the path to holiness was to make of yourself nothing. This means to give up your self and to always and continually make acts of perfect reparation for your sins. If we were all perfect we would not need Jesus, right?

So I was thinking of how does one do these “Acts” of reparation?

I do offer it up when in pain of any kind, hopefully remembering to offer it up and not to wallow in pain or pity.

By offering it up I though this would stop selfishness and selfcenteredness, but now I am thinking that we need to continually do more to show reparation to His wounded heart.

I am trying to make up for past sins and ongoing issues, which have been repented of, but I don’t think this equates to justice to His wounds.

For example, a priest has suggested prayer and fasting as a weekly thing to do for reparation…not just making confession and doing a penance.

Also, before one can get to confession, just offer it up and do a fast of a meal for example.

I don’t quite understand why the furtherance of even more penance of weekly fasting as a mortification, if I have gone to confession, but it seems like it would be to due to the love of Him.

Right?

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

I am trying to make up for past sins and ongoing issues, which have been repented of, but I don’t think this equates to justice to His wounds.

This is kind of a dangerous way of thinking. Whether you intend to or not, you’re actually questioning the efficacy of the sacrament of confession. Saying “I know I’m absolved, but that’s not good enough, I need to do more!” is kind of like throwing Gods mercy back in his face.

Certainly there’s nothing wrong with offering up your suffering and trying to do better in general, but that’s what we should all be doing anyway, not to repay sins you’ve confessed and been absolved of.

 

[mary15]

I’ve been absolved and it is wonderful. No danger there of believing otherwise or if not good enough. that is not at all what I mean to convey.

My apologies for not being succinct or clear in my verbiage.

Then what is reparation and is that to make justice to His sacred heart?

We have left a wound that needs justice or reparation now that the nail has been removed by grace.

yes?

 

[Peonies]

@mary15

Pope Pius XI wrote the encyclical called Miserentissimus Redemptor; the English translation is On Reparation to the Sacred Heart. It is a very brief read and may be helpful to you. I’ve linked to the encyclical on the Vatican website.

On Reparation to the Sacred Heart

There are many time honored devotions of reparation. The Golden Arrow that I referenced before is my favorite, but here is another one. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Annie]

I Had thought that the path to holiness was to make of yourself nothing. This means to give up your self and to always and continually make acts of perfect reparation for your sins.

No, not really. I mean, yes, we give up ourselves to God, but we do not make ourselves nothing, as you put it. God wants us to cooperate with Him in giving up our old selves and making our new selves something good and holy and pleasing to Him.

We are to pray always, and prayer consists of more than reparation. The 4 types of prayer are Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. (See how the initial letters spell out ACTS.) How we “pray always” is by offering up our day to God, and then raising our hearts to Him briefly during the day.

The Act of Contrition is a prayer like one that begins “O my God, I am heartily sorry…” (An Act of Perfect Contrition is different and limited to times we cannot go to Confession.

And here is an Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart.

We can make reparation in many ways. Here they talk about the first way, acceptance of our sufferings and offering up our prayers, works, Joy’s, and sufferings…

For example, a priest has suggested prayer and fasting as a weekly thing to do for reparation…not just making confession and doing a penance.

Our prayers can be strengthened by various things we do, particularly prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Whatever you consider doing, talk it over with a priest, making sure he knows all the spiritual practices you are already engaging in, and never let spiritual practices interfere with the duties of your state of life (so, if you are a parent, do not neglect your duties to your family).

I don’t quite understand why the furtherance of even more penance of weekly fasting as a mortification, if I have gone to confession, but it seems like it would be to due to the love of Him.

Yes. And fasting is very good for us spiritually in several ways.

 

[Beryllos]

Then what is reparation and is that to make justice to His sacred heart?

We have left a wound that needs justice or reparation now that the nail has been removed by grace.

This is just my opinion, but reparations are more for the benefit of others whom we have harmed or led astray, and for the world.

If direct reparations are possible, perform them (for example, correcting an error, returning what we stole, making peace, …).

In many cases direct reparations are impossible or too difficult for us. Then we can make reparations through Christ by praying. Pray that God may provide what we cannot, that is, the restoration, healing, peace, and salvation of those we have harmed materially or spiritually.

Christ himself does not need to be healed, but his Body does. Recall that we are members of his Body (1 Corinthians 12), the communion of the many who were saved, are saved, and will be saved. Through Christ, our prayers, fasting, and offerings for the benefit of others are efficacious.