Why light penances after confession?

[babochka]

My priest mentioned penances in his homily this morning. He referred to them as “a beginning to our new life in Christ”. Sort of a way to start off right after our confession. I liked that way of putting it.

 

[JimG]

I sort of agree that more serious penances might be good for us, but priest’s, I think, are reluctant to give penances that cannot be completed in the church, because people might quit coming to confession. Still, a rosary would be okay.

The penances were light even pre-Vatican II.

I do recall back in college though, a guy that I knew said to me once, “Well, only one more week of my penance.” “One more week?” I asked. “Yeah, he said, Fr. X said my penance was no dating for two weeks.”

Well, if you knew Fr. X, it made sense.

 

[babochka]

I sort of agree that more serious penances might be good for us, but priest’s, I think, are reluctant to give penances that cannot be completed in the church, because people might quit coming to confession. Still, a rosary would be okay.

The penances were light even pre-Vatican II.

I do recall back in college though, a guy that I knew said to me once, “Well, only one more week of my penance.” “One more week?” I asked. “Yeah, he said, Fr. X said my penance was no dating for two weeks.”

Well, if you knew Fr. X, it made sense.

I think it is important for a priest to really know a penitent (state in life, spiritual state, etc.) before he gives a creative or difficult penance that lasts a long time (more than a day). Perhaps that is why we don’t see it very often.

 

[RileyG]

Didn’t the early church give full public confessions if I’m not mistaken? Their penances were much more harsh, I agree. I’m thankful for the penances I’m assigned though.

 

[maryjk]

Having a penance of an Our Father or Hail Mary makes it clear to us that we’re not in any way earning our forgiveness. It is a gift that we should be thankful for. Having some heavy penance might give the opposite impression, that we have somehow merited our forgiveness through our own actions.

We need to remember we do not earn God’s grace. He gives it to us.

 

[teachccd]

hairshirts not good enough anymore?

Then I would only need to remove my shirt. Way too easy of a penance!!

 

[RedSparklyShoes]

I was pondering this same question recently and the joy I felt when it dawned on me that NOTHING I could do or pray would make me worthy of receiving this forgiveness was indescribable. It totally changed the way I do my assigned penance. It changed my heart.

 

[englishredrose]

I was on a Christian website called ukcw and a Catholic there once said that penance is to draw you closer to God.

In past experiences I kind of felt that penance didn’t really do anything for me from the God front. Not that I noticed that at the time. It only since this priest has come along and given me what I class as tailor made penances. But he also knows much more about me as I have shared more. The first one this priest gave me was psalm 40 which he did sort of apologise for being long. I didn’t know then that this guy means business with his penances but they are not frightening at all and certainly no punishment. I quick confession not this christmas but year before saw me rejoining the choir as penance and little did I see it coming as a penance. I was vagually aware of the long term aim but had in my mind I might get psalm 150 as all other priests have given psalms, a reading or a hymn. That was the first of ‘exciting’ penances. He given a non Christian book to read to which he did explain it not Christian but the purpose of it was more useful and it did actually draw upon christianity and in a round about way had other things explained to me. I still draw from that book when in those moments. The last penance I nearly had something from Job to read and am suspicious of that only because in confession he gave a piece about it then suddenly asked/stated, that I read Job haven’t I? Which I have and started forming another penance which really has brought me closer to God in my everyday life in the way I pray and thus I call my penances tailor made. I don’t know if he does that for others or it because I give him a lot about me at other times but I love the penances from this priest and be sorry when he goes for that because my love of God has grown into a love of God rather than just believe in God in and out of penance. I am sorry June has come to an end because he gave me the month and I know but it no longer penance now is it and just had that nice ring to it because it so much how I kind of pray how he shown me and build upon that. They are quite light though but I think if they were real penances the ones of us that do go, wouldn’t would we? If the penance was too much for us to handle. I don’t have to do mine like you guys, I wouldn’t have to go back and say I failed etc. plus the one he has very clear evidence I have rejoined the choir. My friend had asked what happend if the choir didn’t want you? My reply was quick in that he said to rejoin, not to stay… but I have stayed etc. I thought that was the best penance ever and was at the time but this month penance been equally as joy and thank you because been feeling a bit down and this post helped me to remember the joy of what he has given and how it helped me with God.

 

[ccmcmg]

I was pondering this same question recently and the joy I felt when it dawned on me that NOTHING I could do or pray would make me worthy of receiving this forgiveness was indescribable. It totally changed the way I do my assigned penance. It changed my heart.

That is wonderful!

On the main question, I have received various penances; the most intense was The Rosary after making my first confession in over 12 years. Since then, Hail Marys or Our Fathers have been prescribed, as well as meditating on a Bible verse. The Rosary penance actually started me on the practice of praying it daily at least once! Woo hoo! The Bible verse was wonderful and I read even more.

Is it just me, or is there a ‘theme’ this year? I have went to confession at my home parish, twice to another priest in a neighboring diocese, and once in a completely different state, where English was not his first language…and each has mentioned “Love”, being loved by God and such. Perhaps it’s my nature of sins that are providing this response in the confessional?

One way one might look at penance: it’s us showing that we accept God’s forgiveness by performing the penance, and by accepting His forgiveness, we promise not to sin again (which is impossible, but worth striving for!).

 

[m134e5]

I read somewhere that a priest once asked St John Vianney how to go about giving penances for penitents. He told him to keep the penances light and for the priest to do the rest themselves. If a priest is known to give particularly difficult or time-consuming penances, people either won’t do them or they will become worn down by discouragement,

 

[larsont7]

I read somewhere that a priest once asked St John Vianney how to go about giving penances for penitents. He told him to keep the penances light and for the priest to do the rest themselves. If a priest is known to give particularly difficult or time-consuming penances, people either won’t do them or they will become worn down by discouragement,

Speaking of St. John Vianney, here is a wonderful sermon of his on Purgatory and penance - catholic-forum.com/saints/stj18004.htm

I, too, would love harsher penances, not because I believe I am not forgiven, but because I dread the thought of Purgatory and wish to spend as little time there as possible.

 

[Luna_de_Colores]

nothing like the plague to darken one’s day.

Offer it up! ( )

 

[FrDavid96]

In the early church, penances for your sins were heavy, it took even years of doing some kind of sacrifice! Now, after we confess, is like “pray 3 Our Fathers”… I think we should bring a middle ground, such as pray a full rosary, because that way would make people realise more the gravity of sin, no?

Here’s my perspective as a confessor:

1. Unless it’s imminent danger-of-death, I always assign some kind of penance, as the rite requires.
2. Since I am present in persona Christi, before I say the words “I absolve you” I assign a penance that I feel is in keeping with the penances that Christ Himself assigned in the Gospels, so many times, before He said the words “your sins are forgiven.”

 

[vsedriver]

In the early church, penances for your sins were heavy, it took even years of doing some kind of sacrifice! Now, after we confess, is like “pray 3 Our Fathers”… I think we should bring a middle ground, such as pray a full rosary, because that way would make people realise more the gravity of sin, no?

I’d like to think that the people going to confession already realize the gravity of sin otherwise why bother to go?

also penance isn’t about punishment. For many people just making it to confession is a kind of penance in and of itself.

 

[coachdennis]

Here’s my perspective as a confessor:

1. Unless it’s imminent danger-of-death, I always assign some kind of penance, as the rite requires.
2. Since I am present in persona Christi, before I say the words “I absolve you” I assign a penance that I feel is in keeping with the penances that Christ Himself assigned in the Gospels, so many times, before He said the words “your sins are forgiven.”

Thank you, Father, for a response grounded in faith, tradition, and reality.

 

[m134e5]

Speaking of St. John Vianney, here is a wonderful sermon of his on Purgatory and penance - catholic-forum.com/saints/stj18004.htm

I, too, would love harsher penances, not because I believe I am not forgiven, but because I dread the thought of Purgatory and wish to spend as little time there as possible.

it would be better for priests to give light penances that people will do than to give harsh ones that people will not do. I think lighter penances also encourage more frequent confession. Something more than the standard three Hail Marys or five Our Fathers (or any combination of those) would be good, but I would think it would be best to do small penances frequently rather than to do large penances on rare occasions.

 

[babochka]

Something more than the standard three Hail Marys or five Our Fathers (or any combination of those) would be good, but I would think it would be best to do small penances frequently rather than to do large penances on rare occasions.

My confessor is very good about giving penances that are tailor-made for my particular sins: the right medicine, if you will. Sometimes they are lighter than the “standard” three Hail Marys, sometimes heavier.