Penance is what? For what sins can impose penance?

Penance is a method of healing, an attempt to correct a person or a divine punishment? What is the purpose of penance, and who has the right to impose it? Let's try to figure this out.

Penance: what is this?

Penance (in translation from Greek, "penance" - "punishable by law") - is a voluntary performance by a believer of certain corrective actions. It can be a long fast, long prayer, charity to the needy, etc. A spiritual father can impose penance, it does not carry any truncation of the believer's rights. It is spiritual healing, in other words, it is a lesson appointed for the purpose of deliverance from sin, which engenders a striving for deed in the name of God.

Prayers and good deeds, which are appointed in the form of penance, must be completely opposed to the perfect sin. An intemperate person can be assigned a longer post, someone who enjoys worldly affairs - frequent walking to the temple, intensified prayers, prone to covetousness, merciful affairs are appointed.

Penance is not a punishment

According to clergymen, penance is a special obedience that can heal the soul of a sinner, but not punishment. Unfortunately, today we do not have a single penitentiary practice. Many priests either do not give penance in general, or designate too heavy, sometimes unbearable for a person, that instead of creating leads to the suppression and destruction of man as a Christian. There is no single rule for determining the "size" of penance. Sometimes people come to the church who are very far from spiritual life, but they sincerely repent of perfect sins and claim that they need penitence for adultery or for some other sinful deed. Hegumen Nektariy claims that it would be wrong to appoint such a person to read the Penitential Canon every day, 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 the priest, then one must take it seriously. In the established timeframe (usually 40 days) you need to perform all assigned, if possible adhering to a firm schedule. There are possible types of penance:

• alms;
• Long post;
• Reading home prayers;
• Abstention from the performance of matrimonial duty ;
• Bowing during worship, etc.

If the penitent can not perform penance for any reason, he must turn to the priest who imposed it for advice on how best to proceed in this case, to receive his blessing. If the sin of the penitent is very serious (murder, betrayal to the spouse), then in addition to the basic rules, an interdiction for communion for a certain period of time may additionally be imposed.

Penance for infanticide

Abortion is a grave sin, the responsibility for which lies with both spouses, especially if they consider themselves believers and realize the full burden 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 throughout life to humbly bear punishment for the action. For this, problems with children, illnesses or difficulties in family life can be sent. It is important for a person who has suffered penance to understand that everything that has happened to him has been sent for the abortions that were made earlier, all of this must be accepted unconditionally, repented, ask for forgiveness from God and, of course, never repeat this in life.

To say by the way, penance is something that can only be imposed by a spiritual mentor. No outsider priest can fully understand the situation of a person, as one who has been watching the believer for a long time, knows all the subtleties of his life. Therefore, on confessions on pilgrimage trips it is not necessary to ask the monk for penance, for, with all his spiritual experience and adequacy, he will not be able to fully understand the current situation.

The sin of fornication

The seventh commandment of the word of God says about the prohibition of any adultery, that is, any violation of marital fidelity and other illegal, lascivious connections. It is impossible to say in advance with accuracy what kind of penance can be imposed, it all depends on the specific case, the will of man to the atonement of sin and the decision of the mentor himself.

So what actions are sins against the seventh commandment? This is an intimate relationship between men and women who are not in a legitimate union, approved by the church. Penance for fornication can be imposed with the excommunication of the sacrament for a period of 7 years. Adultery (betrayal to a legitimate husband or wife), debauchery, homosexuality and lesbianism, temptation in a dream are all great sins, but this is far from complete.

It is worth listening to the words of priests who say that if the spiritual mentor does not give penance, it is the Lord who appoints him. If a person understands this and accepts - the result, of course, will be effective. However, this is a much more difficult path than reading the canon for a certain time, appointed by the priest.