How to Do Penance

Last Updated: December 2, 2021 Approved

Did you sin? Do you want to make up for it? In Catholicism and certain branches of Christianity, you must do penance to repair the harm you’ve caused when you make a mistake. While it may sound like a painful experience, the goal of this sacrament is to improve and enrich your life, and this is often a very rewarding experience for many Christians. If you want to know how to do penance to achieve the best spiritual results, we’re here to help.

Samples

Rosary in English

Rosary in Latin

Steps

1
Come. Come to reconciliation. See a Priest and tell him what you have done. When you go in start by saying "Bless me father for I have sinned, my last reconciliation was (blank) these are my sins..." and don't hold back. He won't tell anyone, even if you committed a serious crime.
2
Listen. Listen to what the Priest says. He will tell you what good penance might be. It could be anything from 3 Hail Mary's, to just apologizing.

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3
Do your penance! If it's just a prayer, you can do it while you're still in the church. If you should apologize, go find the person or at least call them up!
4
Go. You have been cleansed of your sins. Go in hopes that you will not sin again.

Community Q&A

Question

I have been severely offended by friends and relatives, and have not been able to fully forgive them, even when I strongly desire to forgive them. What do I do?

Community Answer

Pray. Ask God to help you forgive. As this is a hard thing to do, it is understandable that you want to forgive but can't find forgiveness. Spend a little bit of time--it doesn't even need to be a long time--but stop what you're doing, spend a little bit of time praying, asking God to help you find forgiveness. And you will find forgiveness some day. It could be years from now, or it could be tomorrow.
Question

What should I do if I offer penance and it isn't accepted?

Community Answer

If you mean the person you sinned against didn't accept your apology then there isn't much to do other than work hard to gain back their trust. An apology doesn't fix it, because you can never fully take back what you did or said. It may be the way you are apologizing, work on sincerity. If you feel that it is God who isn't accepting your penance, then you must be patient until you forgive yourself.
Question

If a person goes to confession and is truly sorry for what he did, and the priest gives him a penance for his sins, but he dies before he has a chance to do it, is he still forgiven?

Community Answer

God forgives our sin on the basis of Christ's sacrifice and His mercy and loving-kindness -- you don't earn his forgiveness by doing an act of penance. All it takes to be forgiven is asking for forgiveness with a contrite heart.

Warnings

If you do tell a priest that you have committed a serious crime, he will probably give you the penance of turning yourself in. If you want to be forgiven by Him you should.

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