Penances

[tnavarro61]

my bro and i were reading a news article about a religious congregation, and they are making stories about how they observe penances (they described them hyperbolically ...which is not true; i can testify!) a news article said that this congregation only consume liquid during lent. Come on, this is not true.

But why does the media so "crazy" about penances? I find nothing wrong with penances (flogs, chains, etc.) but why do they present them as bad objects???

[CatherineM]

Because it is so counter-culture. No one has to accept responsibility for their actions anymore. The idea of atoning for your actions is novel for most people.

[LaPetiteSoeur]

For me at least, flogging oneself with a rope encrusted with thorns or spikes or something seems terribly awful.

I understand penances such as fasting (and I've done 24 hour fasts before in HS and in middle school for lenten programs), but not whipping.

As to why the media makes such a big deal about any type of penance, it's because 1) they don't understand it nor do they do research about what penances are 2) what Catherine M said, and 3) penances usually these days (at least those given in the confessional) aren't usually corporal punishment.

Edited March 27, 2011 by LaPetiteSoeur

[MissScripture]

By making religious people look crazy, they can write them off and pretend that they are irrelevant.

[Chamomile]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1301364898' post='2224097']
By making religious people look crazy, they can write them off and pretend that they are irrelevant.
[/quote]

Yes.

Also, penance saves souls. The media is generally against God and Heaven. Therefore, they want people to think penance is a bad thing.

[InPersonaChriste]

I think that it is because the media does not accept anything that would make us closer to God for essentially the ways of our current culture are not in line with the church. I prefer to try practices such as little sacrifices and hard tasks within my day (Like St. Mary magdalen de Pazzi, or Therese of Lisieux).

St. Francis of assisi rolled in the snow,

All members of Opus Dei wear those chain things around their thigh.

One saint accidently passed gas during a grand silence and then sat outside in the snow for a day as personal punishment for breaking silence (cannot remember his name)

In Persona Christe~