It's not a bad thing

Friday Penance

It appears that the Catholic Church in England has decided that a fast from meat on Fridays is a good way to follow the instructions on a penance that should be performed on this day. While some people may see this as a regression to 'the bad old days', it can also be seen as a reviving of a practice that did a great deal of good, both for the Church and for individuals. This is something that I wouldn't mind being reinstituted in CAnada as well. A good part of the time I try to follow it as a personal act of penance...

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When less is more

The Virtue of Asceticism

The biggest problem in our culture is avoiding excess. It seems that there's always a tendency to 'biggie-size' anything and everything. In this case more would be less...

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The one thing

that gets Catholics labelled non-Christian or worse...

Pray for Us Sinners

SWMBO (God bless her) went out onto the step the other day to talk to a Baptist woman and her daughter who were coming around with literature to drop off. When she came in she commented on how surprised she was that they didn't have any idea of the concept of Lent. It's something I haven't really thought about before, but it makes sense.

Why would they have a sense of the period leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus as that doesn't matter at all in their general theological world-view. When Jesus' salvific act 'pays the price' for your salvation, that's all that's necessary for most people. The idea of penitence being more than a one-time thing is very mainstream and falls more to the Roman Catholic and Reformation Churches and leaves most of the 'new-world' Churches out, I think.

Sorry for the ramble. Mea culpa.

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There is value

in maintaining some traditions and practices...

At a Catholic fish fry, a hunger for tradition

Nice headline, though.

I don't hunger for tradition, though. What I do hunger for are practices that help me reach over the gap that I place between myself and God every day. I need things that help me bridge that. Lenten sacrifice, along with prayer, helps me to do that...

'Bless me, Father...'

A look at confession among various faiths

...mea maxima culpa...'

Things you may not have known...

The sacrament

of Reconciliation is something quite special to me. Most Catholics I know hate it...

‘You’re A Good Person’ And Other Confession Excuses

Personal opinion here

but I think this is a good thing.

Catholic confession making a comeback

So there!

Lenten Penance

A really good post from JimmyAkin.org:

Lenten Penance Suggestions