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ShawnaB
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Many non Catholic Christians hear this word and think it means paying for your sins by doing some sort of sacrifice. (Think Robert DeNiro hefting that huge burden through the jungle in "The Mission.") Lent is a time of penitence, am I correct? If Christ paid for our sins because we could not, what does penitence really mean and what is its spiritual purpose? Is it different than fasting? What does is practically mean, and what should the heart's intention be?
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Shawna, wife of Jacob, mom to Abraham 8 Amelia 5 and Jillian & Jonathan age 3 years http://www.psalm121family.com
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MaryM
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First I want to clarify some terms in order to help see if I'm on track for what you are asking. I think we would more commonly use the terms penance or penitential in reference to the questions you are asking. Penitence is more the condition of being penitent.
So to address the first question where you state, "Many non Catholic Christians hear this word and think it means paying for your sins by doing some sort of sacrifice." The term I think you might be referring to is penance (form of the same word as penitence but just trying to clarify). Penance in the internal sense is a conversion of heart toward God and away from sin, which implies the intention to change one's life. It is a supernatural moral virtue which enables human beings to acknowledge their sins with true contrition and a firm purpose of ammendament. Penance recognizes the absolute power of God to forgive sins and to restore grace.
Penance is also expressed in external ways. Scripture and the early Church Fathers insist on three forms; fasting, prayer, almsgiving.
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is a liturgical celebration of God's forgivness of sins of the penitent.The acts of the penitent include contrition, confession of sins, and satisfaction or reparation. This is when you may here of someone doing penance. I'm quoting the Catechism here as it does a better job than I of explaining penance in this sense:
Quote:
| 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." |
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We are called to recognize this virtue througout the year but you are correct that Lent is one of the seasons of the Church that is penitential. Focusing in a penitenial way during the season helps us prepare for the liturgical feasts (in this case Easter) and helps us aquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart. It encourages us to be more perfectly conformed to Christ, who suffered and died for our sins.
And I know you will get additional thoughts from these many wise and acticualte ladies, but I hope this helps for a start.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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The Women for Faith and Family website has some helpful information about the Lenten season with quotes and historical references to the penitential practices of Lent and the Church in general.
I wanted to add that acts of mortification (self-denial) which fasting is, are acts that bring about a detachment from material and bodily goods and deepen attachment to spiritual goods. Mortification turns the person to seek the joy that is related to charity, fraternal love, and discipleship with Chirst. There are many ways a person might choose to practice sacrifice or self-denial.
I haven't seen "The Mission" so I hope someone can address that in context of this discussion.
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Mary M. in Denver
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ShawnaB
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Wow Mary! Thank you so much! That was a great explanation. So penance is not an attempt to pay for one's sins, but is a response to that unmerited forgiveness? There are so many misunderstandings about the Catholic tradition, particularly with the vocabulary! I appreciate you taking the time to offer such a thorough explanation.
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Shawna, wife of Jacob, mom to Abraham 8 Amelia 5 and Jillian & Jonathan age 3 years http://www.psalm121family.com
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CrunchyMom
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Isn't penance, though,still the reparation for sin? Supernatural grace through the cross takes care of original sin, but even with that grace, we still bear responsibility and must suffer consequence and bear a temporal punishment of sin. That is why there is pergatory, right?
The verse that keeps popping into my mind is the refiner's fire--how we are made holy through process...
In spite of grace, when we choose sin, it affects our relationship with God, and penance (in addition to corporal works of mercy, etc...) is a means of repairing that relationship. Am I right?
I don't feel I can say it well, but it doesn't seem right to leave you with the idea that we aren't "paying for our sins." Though, it isn't quite in the same way I thought it was meant when I wasn't Catholic. There is no denial of super natural grace, and the purpose of any penance isn't simply "punishment" but a means of drawing one to spend more time with God. It is through that our soul is refined and we renew our relationship with God.
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Lindsay
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Can someone explain penitence?
