What is penance?

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Bruno, and Po18guy,
What about 40 hours devotion? Does that also involve fasting with it? Sounds a lot like what you were saying.
Both of your lives sound like prayers to me.
Brought to mind what St. Francis said about living it. Use words when necessary. (I thought of that Bruno when you said something about letting your life be a prayer.)
 
GailMac said:
Help Mom! He’s talkin’ German!
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Ha bleeming well ha (just good for two “ha”)
(or is it blooming well?)

But some seem to speak German!?
German? Well - that’s the original language of the pope
and me 😉 (again just good for one ha)

Oh - that one was quite funny:
…when I was first in England 1958 they asked me, if I know the National Anthem. Of course I said
GOD SHAVE THE QUEEN!

Never mind.
I mentioned Elijas here today.
(no idea how you wrinte that name)
Well, a friend told me just now about my posting when I wrote:
(his body too was taken off the earth to heaven just like Mary’s body).
that this part is Elijas: 2,1-18

Oh no. It’s a wonderful warm evening - the sun is still shining, - we just had supper - but I now have to seek for the engl. name of Elijas 😊
Might Elijas help me. (or you find it before I do).
 
Phew! Back to English…but if you guys kept up the talking in tongues, I could’ve offered it up as penance! Shucks.

Peace,

Gail
 
allhers said:
Bruno, and Po18guy,
What about 40 hours devotion? Does that also involve fasting with it? Sounds a lot like what you were saying.
Both of your lives sound like prayers to me.
Brought to mind what St. Francis said about living it. Use words when necessary. (I thought of that Bruno when you said something about letting your life be a prayer.)
Click to expand...
Numbers are very significant in faith history. Three (days Christ was in the tomb, days Jonah spent in the fish), seven (the number of days in creation, the Jewish number of completion, after which a child is presented, named and boys are circumcised), twelve (number of tribes of Israel, number of Apostles who will judge the twelve tribes), forty (years wandering in the desert, days that Jesus fasted in the desert) appear time and again. Any number that repeats in scripture is good to use in conjunction with fasting, or other forms of penance. If you know the story surrounding the time frame, it can give extra meaning to your penance.

Until just recently, I fasted every Thursday sundown to Friday sundown, in honor of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and death. The lack of food was not a burden, and became rather a delight, knowing that I was denying myself in solidarity with the suffering Christ. I hungered in a pale imitation of His hungering. A devotional prayer at 3:00 PM is very good, as that is known as the “hour of mercy”, when Christ bowed His head and died for us. This is especially meaningful on Fridays.

Another is 3:00 AM, known as the “hour of visitation”, when Jesus came walking upon the water toward the Apostles. It was the fourth watch of the night, or 3:00 AM. This can be accomplished by either setting your alarm, or even better, by spending time with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament at Adoration. I am called to intercessory prayer before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and have been amazed with supernatural occurrences before Him. I have experienced minor miracles in such prayer. I heartily recommend it n a regular basis.

However, all of the penances and devotions that Bruno and I can mention, over the course of our lifetimes,amount to only one grain of sand on the beach of the church’s devotions. The faith is so profound that we will never in this life know the full depth and beauty of it. So, search out what speaks to your spirit and practice it regularly. Ask at your parish for spiritual direction. Priests who have the time are often more than willing to offer direction. If your parish priest is too busy, search out another.

Christ’s peace.
 
po18guy said:
Numbers are very significant in faith history. Three (days Christ was in the tomb, days Jonah spent in the fish), seven (the number of days in creation, the Jewish number of completion, after which a child is presented, named and boys are circumcised), twelve (number of tribes of Israel, number of Apostles who will judge the twelve tribes), forty (years wandering in the desert, days that Jesus fasted in the desert) appear time and again. Any number that repeats in scripture is good to use in conjunction with fasting, or other forms of penance. If you know the story surrounding the time frame, it can give extra meaning to your penance.

Until just recently, I fasted every Thursday sundown to Friday sundown, in honor of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and death. The lack of food was not a burden, and became rather a delight, knowing that I was denying myself in solidarity with the suffering Christ. I hungered in a pale imitation of His hungering. A devotional prayer at 3:00 PM is very good, as that is known as the “hour of mercy”, when Christ bowed His head and died for us. This is especially meaningful on Fridays.

Another is 3:00 AM, known as the “hour of visitation”, when Jesus came walking upon the water toward the Apostles. It was the fourth watch of the night, or 3:00 AM. This can be accomplished by either setting your alarm, or even better, by spending time with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament at Adoration. I am called to intercessory prayer before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and have been amazed with supernatural occurrences before Him. I have experienced minor miracles in such prayer. I heartily recommend it n a regular basis.

However, all of the penances and devotions that Bruno and I can mention, over the course of our lifetimes,amount to only one grain of sand on the beach of the church’s devotions. The faith is so profound that we will never in this life know the full depth and beauty of it. So, search out what speaks to your spirit and practice it regularly. Ask at your parish for spiritual direction. Priests who have the time are often more than willing to offer direction. If your parish priest is too busy, search out another.

Christ’s peace.
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Thank you, and God bless you and your intentions.
 
po18guy said:
However, all of the penances and devotions that (anyone) can mention, over the course of our lifetimes, amount to only one grain of sand on the beach of the church’s devotions. The faith is so profound that we will never in this life know the full depth and beauty of it.
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that’s what Jesus meant when he said: Oh, there is so much more I’d love to tell you, but you wouldn’t be able to bear it.
This brings us to the beauty, and fullness of live in the Glory of Gods Kindom - furthermore; - not to fear death, which is nothing but the door to God
 
**So many people asked me, if I really believe in heaven “and all that”.
But when they are told YES any why this is so, they kind of are ashamed or shy to open up their believe. Most reaction is “I DON’T KNOW” and that I even heard from Catholics who attend Hols Mass every Sunday. Sometimes they add “you yourself don’t really know – come on admit that’s true”.
So: People are interested, but they do not REALLY want to talk only about it; very often out of shyness. One of the three US-singer of my sons band who lived in our house for month 1992 told me: Oh, I don’t want to talk about it, for this really is a very private thing and opinion.
And now I wonder, and I think that’s the reason, why there are no answers in the thread I had opened here and in my own German forum TELL ME ABOUT HEAVEN. In neither appeared replies.
**
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=252389&goto=newpost
 
Bruno_Schulz said:
**So many people asked me, if I really believe in heaven “and all that”.
But when they are told YES any why this is so, they kind of are ashamed or shy to open up their believe. Most reaction is “I DON’T KNOW” and that I even heard from Catholics who attend Hols Mass every Sunday. Sometimes they add “you yourself don’t really know – come on admit that’s true”.
So: People are interested, but they do not REALLY want to talk only about it; very often out of shyness. One of the three US-singer of my sons band who lived in our house for month 1992 told me: Oh, I don’t want to talk about it, for this really is a very private thing and opinion.
And now I wonder, and I think that’s the reason, why there are no answers in the thread I had opened here and in my own German forum TELL ME ABOUT HEAVEN. In neither appeared replies.
**
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=252389&goto=newpost
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Why do people believe it is such a private thing and opinion? Jesus said “if you confess Me to men on on earth, I will confess you to My Father in Heaven. If you deny Me to men on earth, I will deny you to My Father in Heaven.” So why the secrecy or embarrassment? Is it something to be ashamed of? If that is how those people felt, then they did not really know Jesus. For there is no shame in knowing Jesus.

I will have to make an exception if they were from a country where they would be persecuted to high levels if they were known to be Christians. Then they may justifiably worry about sharing their faith.

I could easily answer the statement “Come on, you don’t really know.” with the statement “While I do not know the details of what Heaven will be like in a physical sense, I know for sure that it is real. There is no question. For Jesus, Who is ***THE ***Way, Truth and Life is totally real. And those of us who truly know Him, know the Truth. And those of us who know Him, also experience the Truth. So, open your hearts to Him, come to the Roman Catholic Church which Jesus gave us for the FULLNESS of His Truth. And you will then know Jesus, Who is THE Truth.”
 
Bruno_Schulz said:
**So many people asked me, if I really believe in heaven “and all that”.
But when they are told YES any why this is so, they kind of are ashamed or shy to open up their believe. Most reaction is “I DON’T KNOW” and that I even heard from Catholics who attend Hols Mass every Sunday. Sometimes they add “you yourself don’t really know – come on admit that’s true”.
So: People are interested, but they do not REALLY want to talk only about it; very often out of shyness. One of the three US-singer of my sons band who lived in our house for month 1992 told me: Oh, I don’t want to talk about it, for this really is a very private thing and opinion.
And now I wonder, and I think that’s the reason, why there are no answers in the thread I had opened here and in my own German forum TELL ME ABOUT HEAVEN. In neither appeared replies.
**
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=252389&goto=newpost
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This calls to mind Nicodemus, (John 3) who only went to Christ in secret. He feared the Jewish authorities more than he feared the Lord. But Christ addressed that when he said not to fear those who can kill the body, but rather to fear Him who can kill both body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28).

Christ’s peace.
 
This thread is straying from the OP’s topic. Please take side discussions to new or existing threads in the appropriate fora. Thank you.
 
Jean_Anthony said:
This thread is straying from the OP’s topic. Please take side discussions to new or existing threads in the appropriate fora. Thank you.
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**Yes, we really widely disgussed penance and even I now know what it is (I didn’t know that word):o

We several times mentioned the LORDS PRAYER in this thread.
I don’t exactly remember how to open a thread, but someone here told me in mail, so I try to find that mail and open that new thread
The Lords Prayer
**
 
Bruno_Schulz said:
that’s what Jesus meant when he said: Oh, there is so much more I’d love to tell you, but you wouldn’t be able to bear it.
This brings us to the beauty, and fullness of live in the Glory of Gods Kindom - furthermore; - not to fear death, which is nothing but the door to God
Click to expand...
Interesting that you mention death. I have just been diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, and begin chemotherapy treatment this Thursday. I choose to embrace my cross, even if it leads to Golgotha for me. As you say, it is the door to God. Beautiful!
 
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