Penance - is it a way of healing, an attempt to correct a person or Divine punishment? What is the purpose of penance, and who has the right to impose it? Let's try to figure it out.
Penance: what is it?
Penance (translated from the Greek "pepitimion" - "punishment according to the law") is the voluntary performance by a believer of certain corrective actions. This may be a long fast, a long prayer, alms to the needy, etc. A confessor can impose penance; it does not entail any truncation of the believer's rights. It is a spiritual healing, in other words, it is a lesson prescribed for the purpose of getting rid of sin, which gives rise to the desire for a feat in the name of God.
Prayers and good deeds, which are appointed in the form of penance, should be completely opposite to the sin committed. An intemperate person can be assigned a longer fast, one who is fond of worldly affairs - frequent going to the temple, intensified prayers, merciful deeds are assigned to those who are subject to the passion of avarice.
Penance is not punishment
According to the clergy,penance is a special obedience capable of healing the soul of a sinner, but not a punishment. Unfortunately, today we do not have a single penance practice. Many priests either do not give penance at all, or prescribe one that is too heavy, sometimes unbearable for a person, which, instead of creation, leads to the suppression and destruction of a person as a Christian. There is no single rule for determining the "size" of penance. Sometimes people come to church who are very far from spiritual life, but they sincerely repent of their sins and claim that they need penance for adultery or some other sinful act. Hegumen Nektarios argues that it would be wrong to appoint such a person to read the Penitential Canon daily, because he will not understand a word in it. It will be much more effective to offer him the simplest penance, for example, daily prayers with bows will give a much greater result.
Types of penance
Since penance is the will of God transmitted through a priest, it must be taken seriously. Within a set time frame (usually 40 days), you need to complete everything assigned, adhering to a solid schedule if possible. The following types of penance are possible:
- charity;
- long post;
- reciting home prayers;
- abstaining from marital duty;
- bows during worship, etc.
If the penitent for some reason cannot perform the penance, he should turn to the priest who imposed it for advice on how best to proceed in this case,receive his blessing. If the sin of the penitent is very serious (murder, betrayal of a spouse), then in addition to the basic rules, a ban on communion for a certain period of time can be additionally assigned.
Penance for infanticide
Abortion is a serious sin, the responsibility for which falls on both spouses, especially if they consider themselves believers and realize the gravity of this act. Penance for aborted children, as a rule, is sent by the Lord himself. This sin can be forgiven if a person is ready to humbly bear the punishment for the committed action throughout his life. For this, problems with children, illness or difficulties in family life can be sent. It is important for a person who has undergone penance to understand that everything that happens to him is sent for previous abortions, all this must be accepted unquestioningly, repent, ask for forgiveness from God and, of course, never repeat this again in your life.
Say by the way, penance is something that can only be imposed by a spiritual mentor. Not a single outside priest can fully understand the situation of a person, like one who has been watching a believer for a long time, knows all the subtleties of his life. Therefore, during confessions on pilgrimage trips, you should not ask the monk for the appointment of penance, because with all his spiritual experience and adequacy, he will not be able to fully understand the current situation.
Sin of fornication
The seventh commandment of the word of God says about the prohibition of all adultery, that is, any violation of maritalfidelity and other illegal, lascivious relationships. It is impossible to say in advance what kind of penance can be imposed, it all depends on the specific case, the will of the person to atone for sin and the decision of the mentor himself.
So what are the sins against the seventh commandment? This is an intimate relationship between men and women who are not in a legal union approved by the church. Penance for fornication can be imposed with excommunication from communion for a period of 7 years. Adultery (treason to a lawful husband or wife), debauchery, homosexuality and lesbianism, temptation in a dream are all great sins, but this is not a complete list.
It is worth listening to the words of the priests who say that if a spiritual mentor does not give penance, the Lord himself appoints it. If a person understands this and accepts it, the result will certainly be effective. However, this is a much more difficult path than reading the canon during a certain time appointed by the priest.
