Discussion on Penance - JOYnet Posting

Q. What exactly is penance? Why should we do it? Actually I was never aware of the requirement of doing penance. When I was small (8-9 standard in school) I used to do small penances like sacrificing some food, subjecting myself to small physical pains. etc..

But when I grew up and came to JY some how I got an idea it is not correct and we should not do it. Because christ has died for all my sins - for all that I have done and those I am yet to do. He has paid the price for me.

But these days when I am reading about many saints I see that all of them has done a lot of penances. Also the church asks us to do some penance on fridays. Also during the sacrement of confession the priest asks us to do some penance. But why should we pay the price of our sins if christ has already paid it in full. Is it our participation in the salvation process?

Can someone throw some light to this? Can you tell me what the church teaches about it?

A.

A very good teaching on penance by His Holiness Pope John XXIII is found here.

1. What is penance?

Penance is the practical expression of our repentance and the will to confirm to the Holy will of God.

Penance is generally expressed in the following ways.
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CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (1424 - '39)

V. THE MANY FORMS OF PENANCE IN CHRISTIAN LIFE

1434 The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: effort at reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity "which covers a multitude of sins."

1435 Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.

1436 Eucharist and Penance. Daily conversion and penance find their source and nourishment in the Eucharist, for in it is made present the sacrifice of Christ which has reconciled us with God. Through the Eucharist those who live from the life of Christ are fed and strengthened. "It is a remedy to free us from our daily faults and to preserve us from mortal sins."

1437 Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father - every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.

1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).

1439 The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father: the fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father's house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father's generous welcome; the father's joy - all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life - pure worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart Of Christ Who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way.
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2. Why should we do it?

We frail human beings cannot do atonement for our sins ourselves. We have no other option but to believe in the One Sacrifice that Jesus Christ did for us. So our penance cannot save us. But doing penance, we can repair the damages caused by our sin (of owr on soul, of a neighbour who is affected) and Jesus expects us to do it. Remember what happenned when Zacchaeus decides to do penance.

(Luke 19:5-9)

5 When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."

6 And he came down quickly and received him with joy.

7 When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."

9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
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CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (1459 - '60)

Satisfaction

1459 Many sins wrong our neighbor. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbor. Absolution takes away sin, but it does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must "make satisfaction for" or "expiate" his sins. This satisfaction is also called "penance."

1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent's personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. They allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, "provided we suffer with him."

The satisfaction that we make for our sins, however, is not so much ours as though it were not done through Jesus Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all things with the cooperation of "him who strengthens" us. Thus man has nothing of which to boast, but all our boasting is in Christ... in whom we make satisfaction by bringing forth "fruits that befit repentance." These fruits have their efficacy from him, by him they are offered to the Father, and through him they are accepted by the Father.
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Many non-Catholic brethren have objection with this doctrine. But see, this is quite Scriptural. We see Jesus doing penance in the wilderness. It was not for His own sake, but for our sins and also to show us an example.

By following the desires of the flesh, we forget the well-being of our spirit. It is quite justified that we control the passions of the body and keep the body subject to the spirit, which is in turn subject to the Spirit of God. See Galationa 5

16 I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.

17 For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want.

18 But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

...... fruits of body and spirit explained .......

24 Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. (Rom 8:4)

Well I once again request you to read His Holiness Pope John XXIII's Encyclical. It contains so many Scriptural references.

Pope is visiting Turkey today!!!

SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE WITH HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI ON HIS PASTORAL VISIT TO TURKEY

NOV. 28 – DEC. 1, 2006

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence. We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer composed by Bishop William E. Lori,
Knights of Columbus Supreme Chaplain

A Perpetual Adoration Chapel

Thank you Father, for entrusting me a Perpetual Adoration Chapel. For a long time I did not give it proper care and attention. Today I see that lots of dirt and trash have filled it so much that I forget that such a Chapel really exists. Help me Lord, to clean it up with your Son's Precious Blood and your abundant help, and to guard it with zeal and veneration.

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ, for You made me the temple of your Holy Spirit. You restored this temple by giving up your Body and Blood, cleansed it, and set apart for yourself. Help me to come back to your Cross, where I shall be restored once again, no matter how much I have destroyed myself.

Thank you Holy Spirit, for dwelling in me, and filling me with the adoration for my Father. Impart me your presence, your life, your character and your will. Transform me, make me like Jesus. Help me to pour out my life for the Triune God, and for His children.

"Zeal for your house will consume me." - John 2:17

A Book I Want To Write

I am thinking these days of writing something - something that can become a book. It's just an idea, and may seem weird to you. Probably someone might have already done the job that I'm looking for. The subject is

Why? Why? Why?

I've seen a book with similar title in Malayalam, that gives scientific explanation of a lots of common things that we see around. I really enjoyed reading that book.

You may wonder how Binu can even think of writing such a book. Well my idea is quite different from the above said book.

Well this book will give short and sweet explanation about WHAT the Catholic Church teaches about certain common issues in the soceity, and WHY. For example, issues like Contraception, Divorce, Women Priesthood etc. in which even many Catholics share difference of opinion with the Church.

Ha!!! Now that you got the point, (if you are interested) kindly help me with some ideas. Or if you already know about such a book that already exists, kindly give its details.

I am sure that such a book will definitely help Catholics to understand our dear Mother Church. It will also help non Catholics to understand and appreciate the riches of the Catholic faith.

God bless you........

On the Feast of St. Martin de Porres

Again a JOYnet posting dated 03-Nov-2004

Today is the feast of St. Martin de Porres, the Negro Saint. He is someone who has deeply inspired me, so much... may be more than any other saint. I was always fond of, or rather, hungry of reading the life of saints. There are many such biographies that laid a solid foundation of faith for building up core convictions regarding faith and morals. To cite a few, St. Francis of Assissi, St. Therese of Lisiex, St. Antony of Padua, St. Antony Mary Clarette, St. Padre Pio, St. Dominic Savio, St. John Maria Vianni, St Catherine of Sienna and so on. Some of these biographies give a very detailed description of various phases and situations they went through, which has really helped me a lot. But I don't know how a 100-odd paged simple biography of St. Martin could make such a difference in my life much more than all the others!!!! to the point that when I received Holy Baptism in 2002 September, I could not think of any other name for me than MARTIN... Yes my dear brothers and sisters, today is the feast not only of St Martin de Porres, but mine also!!! Also is today the 2nd anniversary of my First Holy Communion... Praise the Lord.. Before my Baptism, someone in our prayer group, who was unaware that St Martin is my favourite saint, suggested this name for me. Well that was no less than a confirmation for me.

Martin was the son of a poor negro woman and a rich & noble father. Right from His childhood, he grew in conviction that he was "a child of God, and thus hier to God, and joint hier with Christ". Thus rather than getting angry towards the elite people who would unjustly discriminate people racially, he always looked at and rejoiced at the Master who knows no prejudice. Right from childhood he practised charity. On the way to market, he was not reluctant to give away the "hard-earned money" of his mother to the beggars and those less fortunate than him. He could see the Divine Mendicant in them and served his best. He used to pray for hours in his small room. When his family went through troubled times he was forced to discontinue stuies and joined a surgeon as an assistant where he quickly learnt his job and found joy in serving the sick. The town soon realized the potential of the young chap when they saw Martin him the wound with quickness and precision and easing the pain of a person carried (in great agony) to the dispensary when the doctor was away. His loved ones saw a great career ahead for him as a medical assistant; but Martin had chosen a better career for him - the lowliest in the sight of man, but the greatest before God. "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave." (Mt 20:26-27) He wished to be servant in the nearby poor Dominican Monastery "to serve the servants of God". The friends and relatives tried to dissuade him, and even to threaten him. "But," - the author puts, I really like this sentence - "his decision was firm, and simple. And such decisions taken in simplicity could rarely be disuaded from."

Simplicity was the hallmark of our Saint. The monastery authorities could not understand why such a committed and potential person chose to be a servant. They offered him to prepare for Holy Orders, "but our saint considered himself too unworthy of such a great previlege". In the monastery he did all the mean duties with so much of joy. Everytime anyone finds himself in some problem or need, it was referred to Martin when everything else fails; for he had solution for all. When the monks started witnessing the miracles that the Lord kept on performing through him, they realized that there is a little saint living in their midst. He was very compassionate. Healings used to happen when our saint serves the sick a glass of water or a vegetable salad. He used to distribute food among the poor who would gather in front of the monastery. Without looking at the number of loaves left in the basket, he used to distribute. The loaves would finish only after the last hand stretched towards him was full. It was a usual sight of Martin feeding stray animals. Sometimes it is seen a dog, cat and a rat eating from the same vessel. When the House faced the problem of "rat population explosion" and brothers complained, Martin confessed - "It was my mistake. I didn't take enough care to feed the poor rats". He then had an "agreement" with the rats that all the rats would be fed by Martin in a "rat-shed" and the rats in turn would not trouble the brothers any more. "The rats gracefully agreed and kept their promise".

Martin was blessed with so many spiritual gifts, such as BILOCATION. People from various parts of the world experienced the love and affection and care of Martin, though he never left his hometown Lima of Peru. Once as he returned from some place, he saw the brothers mourning the death of a close friend of Martin. He had wished Martin to be there before he died. Martin said - "How can he die. I am going to wake him up." He entered the room and said. "Brother, I have come as you wished. Now in the name of Jesus, you stand up." He came back to life to the surprise of the Brothers. Immediately, displaying an act of utter simplicity, he remembered the promise to the rats, and went to do it, leaving all the onlookers marvelled by the miracle, and even more by this simplicity.

Martin prophesied his death about 4 days before he died. The whole of Peru as well as from outside flocked to get a glimpse of the Living Saint. He had "Heavenly Visitors" (Blessed Virgin and St Dominic) when the earthly elite had to wait to get an appointment with him. He died the beautiful death promised to the Chosen Ones.

For those who want to know more about Martin, pls go through...

http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintm02.htm
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=306
http://magnificat.ca/cal/engl/11-03.htm