What is Penance? How to do penance?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Writer_for_God
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
W

Writer_for_God

Guest
Hi everyone,
Today I went to confession. And in particular I was thinking about how the priest gives a penance at the end of confession.
What is Penance? Are there any good books that discuss the subject? Theologically? Practically?
Can I only do penance for my sins? Can I do penance for the sins of others? Like an act of charity?
Also, I seem to remember that Penance was an important part of the messages given by apparitions of Mary, such as Lourdes to St Bernadette and also the three children as Fatima?
I am interested in the theology of this idea of penance. Any reading suggestions or thoughts? Suggestions on ways to do penance for my own sins and for others?
Thanks for any thoughts or ideas here.
God bless you. Amen.
 
The Catechism is an easy starting point. See section 1430 and following.
 
Penance is not something you need to do right after confession like many assume. Many also assume falsely that if you don’t do the penance their sins are not forgiven. This is false. Once the priest absolves you of your sins and concludes the confession, your sins are forgiven. You are in a state of grace.
Penance is a form of an indulgence to remove temporal sin from your soul. Even though you are again in grace the soul is still somewhat “bruised” from sin. One cannot get into heaven before they are purified of this stain of temporal sin. This is really what indulgences are in the most simple form. Acts taken by a person which are given by the church which by doing they cause remission of tempral sin. Indulgence gets a bad name from the abuses during the Protestant Revolution but that was just a case of an abuse by a local arch bishop.
 
Last edited:
Oh, but a soul in love will want to make amends as soon as one can, and as cheerfully and fully as one can.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top