EDUCATION

A little bit of history will help us understand this orientation of Lent to Easter. In the early

Church, LeA little bit of history will help us understand this orientation of Lent to Easter. In the early Church, Lent was ultimately about Baptism – it was preparation to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil. In the Roman rite, Lent originally involved 36 days of fasting. The season itself ran for six weeks: from the First Sunday of Lent to Easter. Hopefully we know that Christians do not fast on Sundays which is why the 6 weeks became 36 days of fasting. Being 36 days, St Gregory the Great called Lent: “the tithe of the year.” We give the Lord 1/10 of the year in fasting and sacrifice.3 It was Gregory himself, who added the four extra days – beginning Lent with Ash Wednesday. He did this to bring the number of days to exactly forty, the length of the fast kept by Our Lord when he was tempted in the desert.

4 Obviously the number 40 draws upon some scenes from the Old Testament: the Flood when it rained for 40 days; Moses and Elijah fasted for 40 days to prepare to encounter God; Jonah exhorted the Ninevites to repentance for 40 days.

In the bible, the number 40 means testing, probation, and repentance. Thus, Lent is

fundamentally about conversion (turning away from sin and towards God).

I have heard one writer call Lent in the early Church “an intense boot camp.”5 Those to

be baptized had to memorize the Our Father and the Creed and recite them publicly. They were interrogated by the bishop – these were called “scrutinies.” Multiple exorcisms were performed.6 In the diocese of Hippo, Africa, you hear of the catechumens having to stand on a goatskin. This symbolized sin and the animal clothing of Adam and Eve which they wore after the Fall. As the catechumens did this, the bishop (or an exorcist) would breathe and hiss into their face, commanding the Devil to depart.

During Lent7, the catechumens and those in serious sin (the public penitents – we will talk

about these Christians later) did the following: they fasted – eating only one meal per day;

abstained from bathing; dressed in sackcloth and ashes, and; were forbidden to shave, wear

shoes, or sleep in their own beds.8 All of this ends at Easter. Now, we can understand that when the Church speaks of being “overcome with Easter joy” that these folks really felt that. Also, Baptism was a genuine washing – of sin, but, also physically. In small ways we continue these practices today: ashes, fasting and abstinence, Confession. And more importantly we renew our baptismal vows at Easter. So again, we see the relationship of Lent to Easter and Baptism.

II. The Sacrament of Penance

At the same time, the season is also associated with Confession, more properly called the

“sacrament of Penance.” In the early Church, ashes were imposed on the forehead of grave

sinners as they prepared for public penance. These sinners, or penitents, were expelled from the Church building and excluded from receiving holy Communion. A kind of “liturgical

excommunication” if you will. Again, this is a practice that we continue today. If a Catholic is

conscious of grave sin, he should not receive holy Communion. The word Lent itself is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten, meaning “Spring,” and lenctentid, which

literally means not only “Springtide” but also was the word for “March,” the month in which the majority of Lent falls. In the early Church, public penitents were expelled on Ash Wednesday and received back on Holy Thursday.9 So, being marked with ashes on Ash Wednesday symbolizes that we are sinners in need or conversion and repentance. We need to talk about the history of the

sacrament of Penance as it will help us understand how to go deeper into the sacrament and, by extension, Lent and Easter. However, before we do this I need to explain what this word “penance” means.

For many people it means “punishment.” You will often hear people say, for my penance

I had to do x, y, or z. This is the equivalent of saying – for the punishment of my sins. Yet, that is not what the Latin word paenitentia means. Paenitentia literally means “conversion” or

“turning.” It comes from the Greek word metanoia which means to change my mind or my heart. In the end, Penance involves a turning away from sin and a turning towards God.

When we undertake penances – whether they are 3 Hail Marys, abstaining from meat –

these actions are meant to signify that our hearts have turned from sin and towards God. That is, our hearts have turned from created goods to the Creator and our neighbor. Both Baptism and the sacrament of Penance are therefore sacraments of conversion. Baptism is our first conversion in which we turned away from the devil and evil. The sacrament of Penance is called the second conversion. Now we turn to history.

How was grave sin forgiven in the early Church? Today, we call this process of forgiveness

the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, however, the manner in which this sacrament was celebrated has changed over the centuries. What we do know is that there has always been a way of forgiving serious sins committed after Baptism. Also, the essence of what constitutes this sacrament has always stayed the same, namely the penitent had to show contrition, confess his sins, make satisfaction, and then receive absolution. These are the four parts of the sacrament of Penance: contrition, confession, satisfaction, and absolution.

The Church has always been aware that she has the power to forgive (and retain) sins and

that this power comes from Jesus Christ himself. From John’s Gospel:

“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, [after the Resurrection] Jesus

showed himself to his apostles. He breathed on them, and said to them: ‘Receive the Holy

Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they

are retained’” (20:19, 22-23).

This power to forgive and retain sins was the Easter gift of Christ to the Church. As for the process of forgiveness, we don’t really know about the first three centuries of the Church although by the fourth century a clearer picture begins to emerge.

1. Early Church – Canonical Penance

Regarding the committing of lesser sins, that is sins that are not of a grave nature, the

Church taught that prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (giving money to those in need) forgave venial sin. This is still true today. If you have done something morally wrong but it is not a serious violation of the commandments, then the penitential act at the start of Mass (I confess, Lord have mercy) will forgive sin – if we turn to the Lord in a genuinely sorry way rather than just going through the motions.10

As for serious sins such as adultery, murder, idolatry, and the rejection of the faith, these

needed forgiveness by the Church. Again, it has been this way from the beginning – St Paul

mentions it in the first letter to the Corinthians.11 The process involved three stages. First, there was the confession of the sin. Now, there is a question here because some historians think that confession of sins in the early Church was actually done publicly.

12 That is, you stood up in front of the assembled congregation and told

everyone what you did. As you can imagine this prevented some people of availing themselves of the sacrament.

Other historians however argue that there is evidence that the confession of sin’s details

was done in private.13 As such, the reference to public confession in early literature was a general confession of sin, similar to the “I confess.” So, you would tell the bishop in secret that you murdered, committed idolatry, or committed adultery. And then the next Sunday, you would stand up in front of the entire parish and in a general sense admit to sin, saying “I confess that I have sinned greatly...”. So, even though people did not know exactly what you did, they knew that it was something really serious.

The second stage involved the imposition of penance or satisfaction by the bishop. This

was a good work to be done in reparation and was public. Everybody knew who was doing the penance. Everyone saw that the individual did not receive communion, wore sack cloth and ashes. These public penitents were physically excluded from the church building. Over time, in some dioceses, they were gradually brought back into the church and the liturgy.

The penances usually involved prayer, fasting, and acts of charity. The length of the period

of penance varied: 20 years for murder, 7 years for unchastity, 2 years for theft, and lifelong for apostasy.14 The bishop had the power to reduce these penances. As a member of the order of penitents the person did not receive holy Communion since he or she was separated from the community.

Finally, we have the actual absolution and readmission to communion with the Church. It

was symbolized by the bishop laying on of hands which granted absolution, the forgiveness of sins. This was usually given on Holy Thursday that linked it with the forgiveness of Easter. Even to this day, the priest raises his hand above your head, even if there is the screen.

Note, absolution is only granted after the doing of the satisfaction. This will change in the

Middle Ages and continues to this day. This was the order in the early Church:

contrition → confession → satisfaction/penance → absolution 1 Cor 5:3-6: “For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced

judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

However, later it becomes: contrition → confession → absolution → satisfaction/penance

Before we move on to the second period in the history of the Church, we have to address

a controversy that arose at this time. There were people within the Church who claimed that the Church is only a community of holy people. They argued that if you allowed the sacrament of Penance to be received more than once that people will sin over and over again. Thus, they advocated that Penance should only be given once and that it should be severe. As a result of the severity of Penance and that you could only receive it once, people started to avoid it altogether or wait until the end of their lives. At this point the sacrament started to fall into disuse.

2. Seventh Century to Middle Ages

The second period takes us from the 600s to the Middle Ages. We see during this period

a new development taking place in the practice of the sacrament. This development comes from

Ireland and eventually finds its way to France and then to Spain when the Irish monks travelled to these regions. The Irish monks were influenced by the practice of the Church in the East. For the Eastern Catholic Church (as opposed to the Latin or Roman Church) an integral part of Confession was the spiritual direction that the penitent received from the confessor. What I mean by this is that in the monasteries in the East, Confession was more than just absolution, it also involved receiving spiritual advice and guidance from the monks.

What was new about this practice? First, the emphasis in the sacrament now moves away

from the act of public penance towards individual confession. We see that the confessing of sins and the penance undertaken were both private. There was no humiliating public confession of sin neither was there the public penance. Having said that, the penances given in the sacrament were rigorous. It was not simply a matter of saying 3 Hail Marys. The confessor, the one hearing the confession, had a book that listed the penances for each sin. For example, the adultery received a penance of 4 years (if the woman was married, if not then one year); manslaughter and theft – 7 years15; heresy – 12 years; and drunkenness would attract a penance, normally

fasting, for seven days.16 Second, the sacrament could be repeated as often as a penitent asked for it. This was not something that you just did once in your life. So the sacrament was repeatable. The third new aspect of this practice was the change in what was confessed. Because the sacrament could be received frequently, lesser sins (venial) could be confessed. People could also receive spiritual direction. This is something that continues today. Finally, because of the increased use of the sacrament the bishops began to delegate the hearing of confession to priests.

3. Middle Ages

In this period a debate emerges over what forgave sins. Was it what the priest did (the

absolution), or was it the work that the penitent did (the contrition, confession, and satisfaction)? Clearly, if you only have absolution – but the penitent is not sorry, nor confesses his sins, and does not do his satisfaction – there is no forgiveness of sin. But, if there is no absolution – no matter how much you confess, how sorry you are, or how many Hail Marys you say – you are not forgiven. Danger of death is a different story mind you. So, again, the debate was whether it was what the penitent did or what the priest did that forgave sin. Different theological schools of thought took different sides of the debate.

It was St Thomas Aquinas who provided an innovative and revolutionary answer at the

time. His answer? It was both. What the priest did and what the penitent did forgave sin. And, furthermore, it was both in relation to each other. What the penitent did only forgave sin because of absolution. What the priest did only forgave sin because of the actions of the penitent. As we will see, it is this insight of St Thomas that will provide the answer as to how I can get more out of the sacrament.

4. Vatican II

Now we come to the contemporary era. Leading up to the Second Vatican Council efforts

were made to revise the sacrament in order to re-vitalize it – to give it new strength and vitality in the life of the Christian. These efforts sought to recover the strength of the first period – the focus on a life of penance and conversion with the support of the community. After the Council the sacrament was again referred to as the sacrament of Penance. Calling it Penance emphasized that conversion is life-long and that we need the support and intervention of the community.

But the Council also sought to recover the strength of the second period – spiritual

development and personal responsibility for sin. Just prior to the Council this was the 1962

Formula for absolution:

“May our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you; and I by his authority absolve you from every

bond of excommunication and interdict, insofar as I am able and you have need. Then, I

absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy

Spirit. Amen.”17 With the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, in 1974 the formula was revised to this: “God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and poured out the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.” We have to understand the goal of the Second Vatican Council for the sacrament. We

often hear of the “Spirit” of Vatican II. I would contend that if the Council had a spirit it involved the renewal of the sacrament of Penance in the life of the Church. I hold this because right before the Council started, Pope John XXIII issued an encyclical on penance.

18 At closure of the Council, Paul VI promulgated an apostolic exhortation on penance.

19 Hence, Vatican II was bookended by the call to penance, repentance, and conversion.

It is for this reason that I believe that the true spirit of the Council involved a renewal in

the sacrament of Penance, in particular, helping Christians to embrace the call to ongoing

conversion. Its goal was to place an emphasis on Christian conversion so that Christians would be the sign of the Church’s holiness in the world. Now, this is the opposite of what happened and there are complicated reasons for this. 20 Nevertheless, in every age that the Church has renewed the culture, it was through Christians living their faith in concrete ways and converting our neighbors through our actions.

III. How Does One Get More out of the Sacrament?

Something that I hear lot is, “Why don’t I get more out of Confession?” I would respond

that the primary way that we do so is by living the virtue of penance. The virtue of penance is the consistent disposition of repenting for past sins and the desire to grow in perfection. It involves a desire to follow Christ more closely and to see sin from his and the Father’s perspective (through the gift of the Holy Spirit). This virtue leads us to undertake penances – meatless Fridays, small daily sacrifices – as ways of growing in our love of God and neighbor. When we hear this it can sound like the Christian life is dour, about giving stuff up all the time, and stoically “offering it up.” Yet, it need not be this way. People who are in love sacrifice out of joy. A mother who makes meals everyday finds meaning in this. A father who wakes up multiple times at night grows in his capacity to love. Sacrifices performed out of love do not diminish our existence, these sacrifices truly enrich us. If we truly love God and our neighbor, the virtue of penance becomes a source of joy.

It is the actions of the penitent that I mentioned above that can help us to live the virtue.

To repeat, these acts (or actions) are: contrition, confession, and satisfaction. The ritual book for the sacrament of Penance (The Order of Penance) speaks of the role of the penitent in the sacrament. It says:

“The parts which the faithful penitent has in the Sacrament are of the greatest

importance. For, when rightly disposed, a penitent approaches this saving remedy

instituted by Christ and confesses his (her) sins, he (she) by his (her) actions has a part in

the Sacrament itself, which is completed by the words of absolution, spoken by the

minister in the name of Christ.

So the faithful Christian, when he (she) experiences and proclaims the mercy of God in his

(her) life, celebrates together with the Priest the liturgy by which the Church constantly

renews herself. Notice, what we do has a part in the sacrament itself. Also, pay attention to the last sentence:

“the penitent celebrates together with the priest.” Thus, the penitent plays an integral role in his

or her own conversion, under the influence of the Holy Spirit of course. Finally, the sacrament is both an experience of and the praise of the mercy of God.

So, the immediate short answer to the question, how does one get more out of the

sacrament is – 1) live the virtue of penance in your life and 2) know that what you do in the

sacrament contributes to its effectiveness. It also means bringing the actions of the penitent – what we do in the sacrament – into our daily lives. I will now look at each of actions of the

penitent as they are described in the ritual.

1) Contrition

Regarding “contrition” the ritual states:

“Among the actions of a penitent the most important is contrition, which is heartfelt

sorrow and detestation for the sin committed, with the resolve not to sin again. And

indeed, “we can only approach the Kingdom of Christ by metanoia, that is by an intimate

change of the whole person, so that one begins to consider, to judge, and to order one’s

life, having been overcome by the holiness and love of God, which in these last days have

been revealed in his Son and imparted to us abundantly... Therefore, the genuineness of

penance depends on this contrition of heart. For conversion should affect the person from

within, to enlighten him (her) more deeply day by day and to conform him (her) more and

more to Christ.” St Thomas Aquinas noted that the word “contrition” is derived from a Latin word that means a “crushed heart” or to be “broken hearted.” The more we love God, the greater will our contrition be. This is not due to fear but rather, the more we love, the greater is our desire to be perfect for our beloved. In the end, we judge our actions according to the holiness of God. We seek to become more and more conformed to Christ. This something that occurred in Baptism (our conformation to Christ). Ultimately, then, contrition and Penance is a living of our baptismal

call to holiness.

2) Confession

The ritual states:

“The Sacrament of Penance involves the confession of sins, which proceeds from true

knowledge of self before God and from contrition for sins. This inward examination of the

heart and outward accusation, however, should be made in the light of God’s mercy.

Confession requires in the penitent the willingness to open his (her) heart to the minister

of God; and in the minister, a spiritual judgment by which, acting in the person of Christ,

he pronounces sentence of forgiving or retaining sins by virtue of the power of the keys.

When we think of confessing sins, it can sometimes be reduced to a mere recitation of

sin. However, the Greek word for confession actually means “a prayer of praise.” When we

9 confess we are praising God’s mercy. In fact, our act of confessing sins is itself a prayer. When we bring our sins to the Church we are already confident, trusting in, and praising the mercy of God.

3) Act of Penance (Satisfaction)

Regarding the final action of the penitent, the ritual states:

“True conversion is achieved by satisfaction (an act of penance) for sins, by amendment

of life, and also by reparation of injury. The kind and measure of satisfaction should be

suited to the individual penitent, so that each one may restore the order which he (she)

has harmed and be cured by the appropriate medicine for the sickness from which he

(she) has suffered. In the same way, the penance should be truly a remedy for sin and in

some way renew his (her) life. Thus the penitent, ‘forgetting those things which are past’

(Phil 3:13) once again becomes part of the mystery of salvation and strains forward

towards the things to come.” The penance that the priest assigns is medicine to heal us. It is meant to help us to become detached from sin. It is not only about the Hail Marys that we say however. It is Christ himself who is the one who has made amendment for us. We should therefore offer our satisfaction in and through Christ to the Father. It is when we do this that our Hail Marys truly heal us. It is the act of satisfaction that both crowns and completes the sacrament.

Living the Actions of the Penitent

We now come to my main point for the evening. Having studied this sacrament for 17

years and having received it countless times for over 40 years, this is what I would recommend to get more out of the sacrament of Penance: we embrace and live these three actions in our daily lives and especially this Lent. So, with contrition we should meditate on God’s mercy. We should pray to be more conscious of our conformation to Christ in Baptism, especially his relation with his Father. A wonderful way is to read the daily Gospel. As for confession we can daily praise God’s mercy. This would also involve practicing gratitude, reflecting each day on God’s generosity and thank him for it through his Son. Finally, in terms of the satisfaction, we can perform daily sacrifices for God and our loved ones out of love. The fruit of our living and embracing the contrition, confession, and satisfaction will be a deeper turning to God and to our neighbor. Also, through this, the virtue of penance will become a rich soil that will allow the sacrament of Penance to take root.

Conclusion

To summarize my talk tonight: the season of Lent is aimed at preparing to renew our

baptismal vows. It’s about living our baptismal conversion in which we first turned towards God. The sacrament of Penance itself is a sacrament of conversion, that is a sacrament of turning our hearts to God who has first turned towards us in his Son. Finally, the virtue of penance will help us to bring the action of the penitent into our daily lives so as to live more deeply a life of conversion. If we do this, we will go deeper into Penance, Lent, our Baptism, and by God’s grace, shine the light of Christian holiness in the world.

I will give Pope Benedict XVI the last word. He explained the power of the sacrament of

Penance to revitalize the Church in her mission of evangelization. This will be the fruit of going deeper in this sacrament and Lent. He stated:

“The New Evangelization... begins in the confessional! That is, it begins in the mysterious

encounter between the endless question of human beings, a sign within them of the

Creator’s Mystery and God’s Mercy, the only adequate response to the human need for

infinity. If the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is this, if the faithful have a

real experience of that Mercy which Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ has given to us,

they themselves will become credible witnesses of that holiness which is the aim of

New Evangelization.”21