Understanding Penance a Little Bit More
So, following the notion that where there is no sin, is the idea that there now does not sit a void, and I find penance making a good deal of sense. If I make my Confession in earnest repentance, I cannot content myself to just moving on as if nothing will now occupy my time and energy where once stood a sin. Instead, I have to exercise that time and energy in some other way. More often than not, I have found that when I “conquer” a sin, another just fills in where the last left off. That doesn’t make much of a repentance.
Now, one of the common objections to Catholicism while I was among the Protestant fold was that Catholics have to “confess their sins”. I didn’t think that was a particularly bad idea, though some inexplicably do. But, even still, that was not the worst of it. Oh, no, it gets much worse. They have to perform penance!! They think that by doing good works, they will buy their way into heaven!
Mrmmm … no. Catholicism isn’t quite that shallow. The whole idea is that when I make a confession, I need to now occupy my time and energy on holy works instead of the sinful works I just confessed and had forgiven. And the Confessor, at this point serving as a spiritual director, will provide us with a direction on what kind of holy works we should think about doing.
Unfortunately, I have found many of my penances shallow, save one, which I find myself continually thinking about because, well, it’s so good and I’m so bitter with regards to it (God help me!) that I often doubt I’ve actually performed it. But at the same time, even the shallow ones are just shallows leading into deeper waters. I suppose if I should actually make those shallow waters my home, my penance may actually challenge me to go deeper.
More often than not, my real problem is thinking I’m better than I am. Working with those in need, for some reason, helps remind me I’m not … probably because they always remind me I’m just God’s will away from their situation.