Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
March 31, 2014


Pope Francis Goes to Confession: Click here to view.

Question of the Day:
I remember that during the season of Lent the Church had us do rigorous penance. What, if any, penitential practices are encouraged today?

The thought of doing penance can send ‘chills up one’s spine’, especially when reflecting on Lent in times gone by. Penance is a necessary and essential part of the spiritual life and the process of conversion. As such, it should be seen in a more positive and beneficial way than once perceived. It can be voluntary or imposed and consists of many aspects: prayers, alms-giving, fasting, acts of charity, etc. Today the Church has adopted a more responsible, mature and adult approach to the whole notion of penance, stressing the voluntary dimension. The practice of doing penance can assist one in growing in a greater awareness of their need for God and creating an awareness of service to others in the community.

The Code of Canon Law deals with the subject of penance in five canons: cc. 1249-1253. These canons stress the obligation of penance; the days and times of penance in the Church; fasting and abstinence; those required to undertake certain penitential practices; and, the role of the Bishops’ Conference in determining particular ways of fasting and abstinence. As the season of Lent approaches for this year, it may be worthwhile to state these canons.

Canon 1249: "All Christ’s faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do
penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days Christ’s faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe."

Canon 1250: "The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent."

Canon 1251: "Abstinence from meat, or some other food as determined by the Bishops’ Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday."

Canon 1252: "The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance."

　
　
　
　
Canon 1253: "The Bishop’s Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

In Canada, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops state in Decree 8 the following:
In accordance with the prescriptions of c. 1253 the days of fast and abstinence are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Friday continues, throughout the whole year, to be a day of penance. Catholics are encouraged to do some kind of penance on that, e.g. abstinence but Catholics special acts of charity or piety.