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Martha
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Hi, guys —
I recently went to Confession and the priest told me my penance was to do something nice for one of my siblings. It's been a week since my Confession and I offered to help a sibling make a salad for an event and I also did a small task for my sister-in-law. I absentmindedly fulfilled my penance.
- Does this count as fulfilling my penance? or
- Do I need to do it in conscience of it being my penance?
I hope this makes sense.
Thanks!
Martha
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Does absentmindedly fulfilling my penance count as penance or do I need to do it, in conscience? }
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Eric replied:
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Martha,
- What would it hurt to do another act of charity for your siblings . . . this time, conscious of your penance?
I am not going to split hairs and say that you did not fulfill your penance — I do not think it is worth being scrupulous about it — but neither should we take a minimalistic attitude:
- . . . being stingy in our charity, and
- trying to determine what the absolute minimum is to fulfill our obligation.
In truth we should be overflowing with generous charity all the time.
Eric
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