Prayers after confession as penance

[Link0126]

So, after I confess my sins and I’m absolved and say whatever prayers I’m given, does that mean that I have done penance in the sense that it has negated that time in purgatory? or do I still need to go home and do my own form of penance in the form of fasting or self-denial in other forms?

What I mean is, are the prayers after confession the same to an indulgence or like other forms of “more rigorous” penance?

If not, what is the real purpose of the prayers, do they have a “real” effect or are they just to set our minds back on God?

 

[copperblade]

I think not doing penance is a sin in itself. However, you are absolved of sin when the priest performs the absolution.

 

[Hecares]

When I was in second grade, our teacher, a nun, told us that sin is like pounding a nail into a wooden fence. In confession, we pull the nail out, but it still leaves a hole we have to fill. Since second grade was 50some years ago, and I still remember it, I thought it might be useful to others.

 

[Momofmyangels]

So, after I confess my sins and I’m absolved and say whatever prayers I’m given, does that mean that I have done penance in the sense that it has negated that time in purgatory? or do I still need to go home and do my own form of penance in the form of fasting or self-denial in other forms?

What I mean is, are the prayers after confession the same to an indulgence or like other forms of “more rigorous” penance?

If not, what is the real purpose of the prayers, do they have a “real” effect or are they just to set our minds back on God?

Yes, saying/doing the penance the priest gives you has a “real” effect in that they partially remit our temporal punishment incurred from the sins we’ve committed. There still remains some temporal punishment due for any confessed mortal sins as well as any venial sins we have committed. We can decrease or wipe away entirely our temporal punishment either here on earth or our punishment will be in purgatory.

An excellent way to decrease our temporal punishment is to start each day with The Morning Offering. Everything can be offered up to God in thanksgiving, adoration and reparation.