What is the purpose of penance?

Answer 1

Penance is one of the seven sacraments that Our Blessed Lord established to give grace to His people. As every single human being who has ever lived, saving Our Blessed Lord, and His Mother, have been sinners, we all stand in need of forgiveness. The only sure way in which Our Blessed Lord established to have our sins absolved is in the sacrament of penance. So, as we can never be sure of obtaining forgiveness through an act of perfect contrition, the only way that we can be sure of obtaining forgiveness from God is through His Sacrament, without which we are condemning ourselves to hell for all eternity.

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If you are talking about the act of penance instead of the sacrament, then to quote Blessed John XXIII:Doing penance for one's sins is a first step towards obtaining forgiveness and winning eternal salvation. That is the clear and explicit teaching of Christ, and no one can fail to see how justified and right the Catholic Church has always been in constantly insisting on this. She is the spokesman of her divine Redeemer. .

No individual Christian can grow in perfection, nor can Christianity gain in vigor, except it be on the basis of penance.

Answer 2

In Catholicism, it is important to go to confession so that the priest can forgive sins, and a Catholic can receive communion. A penance is given by the priest, which is usually to say certain prays to show that the person is sorry and repented for the sin committed.

Answer 3

The purpose is to atone for one's sins.

Roman Catholic AnswerThere are two meanings to the word penance in the church. The first is the sacrament of penance (confession), the second is the prayer or work you are given to do after absolution in confession:

as sacrament:

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

980 It is through the sacrament of Penance that the baptized can be reconciled with God and with the Church:

Penance has rightly been called by the holy Fathers "a laborious kind of baptism." This sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation for those who have fallen after Baptism, just as Baptism is necessary for salvation for those who have not yet been reborn. (Council of Trent; Denzinger 1672; cf. St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 39, 17; PG 36, 356.)

1484 "Individual, integral confession and absolution remain the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession." (Ordo paenitentiae) There are profound reasons for this. Christ is at work in each of the sacraments. He personally addresses every sinner: "My son, your sins are forgiven." (Mk 2:5) He is the physician tending each one of the sick who need him to cure them. (Cf. Mk 2:17) He raises them up and reintegrates them into fraternal communion. Personal confession is thus the form most expressive of reconciliation with God and with the Church.

as part of confession:

1460 The penance the confessor imposes must take into account the penitent's personal situation and must seek his spiritual good. It must correspond as far as possible with the gravity and nature of the sins committed. It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices, and above all the patient acceptance of the cross we must bear. Such penances help configure us to Christ, who alone expiated our sins once for all. they allow us to become co-heirs with the risen Christ, "provided we suffer with him." (Rom 8:17; Rom 3:25; 1 Jn 2:1-2; cf. council of Trent (1551) Denzinger 1690)

The satisfaction that we make for our sins, however, is not so much ours as though it were not done through Jesus Christ. We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all things with the cooperation of "him who strengthens" us. Thus man has nothing of which to boast, but all our boasting is in Christ . . . in whom we make satisfaction by bringing forth "fruits that befit repentance." These fruits have their efficacy from him, by him they are offered to the Father, and through him they are accepted by the Father. (Council of Trent (1551): Denzinger 1691; cf. Phil 4:13; 1 Cor 1:31, 2 Cor 10:17; Gal 6:14; Lk 3:8.)

Answer 4

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Catholic AnswerFrom the Council of Trent, Session XIV, Chapter 3:

The 'matter' of the Sacrament of Penance is 'contrition, confession and satisfaction,' the 'form' being the words of the minister starting with 'I absolve thee, etc.'

Answer 5

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Catholic AnswerThe Sacrament of Penance is important because it is one of the seven sacraments that Our Blessed Lord established to communicate grace to us while we are in this world, and it is the only normal way in which God has established for us to have our sins forgiven after baptism. Thus, it is necessary in order to receive any of the other sacraments after baptism.

Answer 6

Well the reason you do penance is because once you go to confession the priest resolves you of your sins so