Editor: Felex Sengiyunva

Article by: Fr. Matthew Udoka, SDB – Nigeria.

“Does the Catholic Church teach and believe that *penance* is the route to righteousness or without *penance* your sins won’t be forgiven?

What’s the Catholic Church teaching on *penance* ?

Does the church teach that *penance* guarantees a sinner who goes to confession, righteousness?”

These are the questions a non Catholic asked me two weeks ago.
Part of the answer I gave explains what the Church’s marks today:

*The Commemoration of All Souls Departed*

It is the Bible – the Word of God, that teaches what we practice in the Church; namely, the revealed truth of God.

Explanation is necessary and good for those who want to believe in God. But for those who do not want to believe in God, no explanation is enough.

In Jesus’s narration about the Rich Man and Lazarus, we read: “‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead” and go to speak to them.

1. *THERE IS PURIFICATION – PURGATORY*.
*Purgatory is a Stopover of Hope.*

“For each mortal sin committed but forgiven, a payment of 7 years of reparation in Purgatory is necessary to erase it from the soul.” (An Angel to St. Frances of Rome)

Frances saw a vision of Hell. It was so horrendous, she could not speak of it without sobbing uncontrollably. The vision of Hell and its horror, the excruciating agony of its tenants, tormented her more than any suffering she had endured on earth.

Frances wrote that having passed through this unbearable inferno, she was carried into Purgatory by her Heavenly Angel.

There, she saw neither the utter hopelessness nor the endless pitch-black gloom she had seen in Hell. Instead, it seemed as if they were in a fog where the bright hope of life eternal with Jesus was trying to cut through.

Here, in this level of Purgatory, the pain of the Poor Souls was seeing that glimmer of Divine Hope and yet not being able to see God in His Beatific Vision. Although these souls suffered intensely, their pain was lessened by the presence of the Angels who came to visit and help them in their suffering.

Purgatory is composed of three distinctly different levels. Souls are consigned to a level based on the seriousness of the offense and the debt owed. The deeper the level, the longer the time before their delivery.

St. Frances is led to the deepest Dungeon of Purgatory.

The Angel brought Frances to the lowest level of Purgatory, to a cavern filled with a roaring fire, its red-hot flames cutting through the black smoke that darkened the cave. But as horrible as it was, Frances said it was not as hot as in Hell. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see bodies being plunged into what appeared to be a cauldron of raging fire, its flames enveloping them, pulling them down. She was told that these were souls who had been guilty of committing serious sins, had confessed and were absolved of their sins by a priest, but had not satisfied the wrong done by their act against God.

In this vision, she was told that for each mortal sin committed and forgiven, a payment of seven years of *reparation* in Purgatory was necessary to erase it from the soul. Since the damage done by each mortal sin affects the world differently, some more deadly and lasting, the length of time and punishment differs. The type of pain and suffering measured out to each of these souls, was in proportion to the type of sin, the damage done by the sins and the number of wounds inflicted on our Lord’s Sacred Heart by these sins.

2 *THE DIVINE MERCY NOVENA*
The Divine Mercy novena promises the removal of the *punishment* for forgiven sins. Lets live righteously, and once in a while, pray the Divine Mercy Novena and the Chaplet to avoid *purgatory.*

Here is our Lord’s Request and Prayer for the Eighth Day of the Divine Mercy Novena.

*Today bring to Me the souls who are detained in purgatory and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy.*

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion.

3. *ETERNAL LIFE*
The wages of sin is death. but the gift of God is *eternal life* through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Christ died for us and took the wages once and for all. If we keep sinning and keep repenting, we’re forgiven, yes. But what sort of life will be that *Why keep committing mortal sin?*

It’s better to personally, individually judge oneself before that Final Judgement. This is not condemnation but pruning one’s soul to bear more fruit.

Christ already won forgiveness for us by means of His death on the cross. And that forgiveness is ours by the power of His Holy Spirit through our Baptism.
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us (Rm.5:5-6)
If we allow the Holy Spirit to live in us, in our bodies, Romans 8:11 says, God, who raised Jesus from the dead, will give life also to your mortal bodies, through his Spirit that dwells in you.

4. *PENANCE & THE HOUR OF DEATH*
If God has already forgiven us, and if Confession makes that forgiveness present to us in visible, audible ways, what is the *penance* for?

When we wrong God and God forgives us, that “forgiving” is something God does. What do we do? What do I do? What we are to do is: Go and sin no more. But do we always do that?
*Penance,* tangibly helps us to actually sin no more by keeping us spiritually alert. If we are committed to the penance and a long term ‘penitential living’, we internalized that forgiveness, it changes us, we see ourselves truly saying “yes” to God’s transforming love.

Forgiveness opens the door to a changed relationship and a new life, penance helps us to maintain that new life above all supported by God’s grace.
No one who truly loves you and forgives you wants to leave you in your sin, any more than people who love and forgive alcoholics want them to remain enslaved to alcohol.

*THE HOUR OF DEATH*
Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven—through a purification or immediately. — or He or she enters into immediate and everlasting damnation. (CCC 1022)
That’s why we pray daily, always, “Hail, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with You. Blessed are you among women and Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners *now and at the hour of our death.*

The “evening of life” will occur for each of us at a time known only to God. We will encounter Christ, the Just Judge, and receive eternal retribution. Without knowing the details, we do have the encounters we experience in the Sacraments, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We confess our sins, make an act of contrition and receive absolution and grace. We are given a penance, and while we are completely forgiven of all sins, any temporal consequences must be addressed. Anything from a simple apology to repayment of stolen items will put everything in right order.

*Penance* is a retribution to God’s Justice. It is a way to make amendments for sin and regain God’s friendship. Our God is a jealous God who doesn’t want us to share the Love, Adoration, Worship that is His alone with anyone else or anything
Penance is a virtue. Confession helps us to regain grace after mortal sin and Penance leads us to live in justice. Penance is a way to learn compassion and forgiveness for others who sin.
*Doing penance after Confession is about making those first step to fan into flame the fire of God’s love in our hearts and lives..* It’s about realizing that Christ’s *forgiveness isn’t just something out there* that I can trade in some day when I’m facing either heaven or hell, but that is is about me, my life here now and eternally. That is why we often combine *fasting with penance.*
Penance helps one to be attentive, vigilant, sober, watchful, for the enemy, our adversary the devil, who, as a roaring lion, is prowling about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Penance as self mortification helps a soul to resist the devil. Penance helps a soul to stand firm in faith.
Penance regulates the appetites of the body, the flesh, the mind and the senses.
Penance helps a soul to realise and remember that other believers are suffering the same way one is.

*God’s transforming love doesn’t leave me in my sin; it transforms me now.* The grace of the sacrament works by changing my heart. And *if my heart is truly changed, my live shows it as well.*

*Penance* is the baby step, done with love, faithfully, not to “earn” God’s love and forgiveness, no; but to discipline oneself and inculcate virtues. For “God has loved us first,” (1 Jn. 4)while we were still sinners.

We know before going for confession that He loves and has already forgiven us when we are *truly repentant* We go to Confession not to change God, but to let God change us.

Usually that change won’t come instantly or easily. God’s grace works over time. What God asks, is: “ *Take a few simple steps. And then have faith that I will be at work in your life, often in ways beyond your expectation.”*

*We need the priest and Confession* We are the ones who need to reflect deeply on our lives and become aware of the ways in which we have gone astray. We are the ones who need to get up, have the courage to pronounce our sins, out loud, in words, to an actual person, so that the sound will ring meaningfully in our ears and in our hearts. We are the ones who need to hear the words of forgiveness, so we will know, in that moment of shame and humility, that *God has forgiven us.*
Penance means *repair* , make *reparation* , in some way humanly possible, the wrong you have done. *All for Eternal life*

5. *THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH….*
God’s word is immutable, unchanging. It stands firm forever. God is God. Sin is rejection of God, whose desire is to see us live, not dead.
For the price of our sin, God gave His Son. If we don’t listen to Him and keep sinning, what else is God to do?
Yes, Christ died to take away the wages of our sins. He sets us free from the debt and the wages of sin *when we live in Him, in Holiness.* We can’t keep committing mortal sin and expect it not to kill our souls already snatched from the gates of hell by Christ. Sins are mortal, they kill the soul. That is what is meant – that the wages of sin is death.

A soul is dead when it is deprived of the Beatific vision. A soul that is dead cannot see God, hear God, feel God, experience or encounter God as God.

We can’t keep sinning and see God. Do not be envious if you see an evil person prosper. Do not envy the prosperity of the wicked. (Psalm 73:3, Psalm 37:1-25)

Everything we do, good or evil, there is a reward or punishment. There is a reaping for whatever we sow.
*Righteousness Blesses* no matter what you’re going through. That is what the *Beatitude* teaches (Mt.5:1-12). It blesses now and has eternal reward.
Don’t be deceived by the lies of Satan, he comes to steal, kill and destroy.

6. *SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION*
In the Catholic Church, we follow the *Scripture* and learn from *Tradition.*

The Church has rich and profound spiritual encounters and experiences of God through her Saints. These, edify the Church and give us insights about Hell, Purgatory, Penance, etc.

For instance: The Prayer
*O, My Jesus*

Our Mother Mary showed the three children of Fatima, a terrifying vision of *Hell*

After this vision, she spoke of God’s desire to establish devotion to her Immaculate Heart… the devotion of the Five First Saturdays. She spoke of what would happen in the world if her requests were not heeded and of the final triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

She then gave the children the prayer.
On July 13, 1917, during the third of the six Fatima Apparition (visit she would pay them), Our Lady taught the three Children of Fatima (the Visionaries) the following:

When you recite the Rosary, after each mystery, say:

“Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of *hell* ; *lead all souls to heaven,* especially *those most in need of mercy.”*

While honouring our Mother Mary, we come to learn again about *the fires of hell,* that we be saved from it. We hear again that some Souls are not yet in heaven, and she requests that we pray that God *leads all souls to heaven* and that there are *those most in need of mercy* .

Our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary went on to teach the children:
*”Sacrifice* yourselves for sinners, and say many times, especially whenever you make some sacrifice: O, Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in *reparation* for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

When Jesus was undergoing His passion, crucifixion and death, Mary our Mother was plunged into deep sorrow. When we sin, we pierced her heart too. That’s why she raised the Blue Army, the Block Rosary, Immaculate Heart devotion and together with her many Apparitions, she intervenes and intercedes on our behalf. Just as She instructed the people before Jesus performed His first miracle, she is still saying it today for the salvation of our Souls, “Do whatever Jesus tells you.” (John 2:5)

*Our Lady’s love and concern for sinners* was a consistent theme of her apparitions at Fatima. She showed the children the vision of Hell in order to stir up their compassion for sinners heading for that dreadful place. She constantly urged them to *pray and sacrifice* for the salvation of souls, and the children—touched by what Our Lady told and showed them—spent their lives doing just that.

7. *YOU ARE A SOUL*
Today we Commemorate All Souls Departed*
We are all, Souls. Each one of us is a Soul. You are, a Soul. The ultimate battles of this life is for Souls: the salvation of Souls or the eternal damnation of Souls. When one dies, we say, May his/her Soul rest in peace. After ones death, no body talks abo

Some day, we will depart the earth. Where will our destination be?

Everyone is to be brought to Christ, while on earth. If we died with him, we will live with him; if we endure, we will reign with him.
For he does not forsake his own body. We are the body of Christ when Christ lives in us. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God. We are God’s children. We are God’s blessings to the world.

Even while still alive, in the I Confess prayer, we we say: “… therefore I asked Blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, *and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord, our God.”*

Prayer works. Our Prayers work. Our Prayers matter. Our prayer is needed for the living and for the dead.

*What exactly are we praying for?* The forgiveness of sin. In the I Confess, we pray for the forgiveness of sin at the beginning of the Mass; for nothing impure, unholy can come in the presence of God, the Holy One.
Today, commemorating all souls departed, we pray for the forgiveness of their sins and offer the Mass as required by the Eternal Father in reparation for sins committed and not well atoned for, so that purified, they can meet God – the Holy One, Pure Light and be fit to be members of the Heavenly Kingdom.

Yesterday, we celebrated the members of Heaven’s Court, *ALL SAINTS* , today we celebrate *ALL SOULS* , the incoming members who have departed the world.
Interestingly, the same Gospel reading of yesterday is what we read today as well: *Matthew 5:1-12* , which is the *Beatitude* , about the *Blessed* .

At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
” *Blessed* are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
” *Blessed* are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
” *Blessed* are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
” *Blessed* are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
” *Blessed* are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
” *Blessed* are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
” *Blessed* are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
” *Blessed* are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
” *Blessed* are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
*Rejoice* and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Happy are you who possess these grace-filled attributes. This is the way to obtain blessings and your great reward in heaven. *All Souls are to become all Saints.*

Praying for the departed helps us to be well prepared for our departure, live purified lives, live our purgatory here, now, so that the purgings of purgatory nor the fires of hell, be not be our destination and our portion.

In the Mass, we celebrate the Memorial of Christ’s Death and Resurrection. No one dies and rises to life again except *IN Christ* . It is for this reason that we celebrate the Mass today to pray that our departed brethren who died be brought back to *life eternal, life everlasting.*

Yes, we were created to live forever. God, in His unfathomable goodness, created the human race to live for ever.
Death came through sin, for the wages of sin is death. Mortal sin kills our eternal life.
God, through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us a new life.

That is why today, every priest all over the world, celebrates three (3) Masses praying for the release of the Souls Departed.
Those who have died since the creation of human beings by God, are more than 8 billion, the current population of the world.

To us who are alive, may God grant pardon for our sins. May our departed family members and all souls departed be purified, forgiven and taken up into the glory of heaven with Christ, whose mystery of love we are all United. Amen

O God, glory of the faithful and life of the just, by the Death and Resurrection of whose Son we have been redeemed, look mercifully on your departed servants, who professed the mystery of the resurrection, may they merit to receive the joys of eternal happiness. Amen

Almighty and merciful God, through the sacrificial offerng of Jesus, wash away, we pray, in the Blood of Christ, the sins of your departed servants, for you purify unceasingly by your merciful forgiveness those you once cleansed in the waters of Baptism. Amen

Let perpetual light shine upon them, O Lord, with your Saints for ever, for you are merciful. Amen.

Christ, sacrificed for us and risen in glory, we humbly implore you, O Lord, for your departed servants, that, cleansed by the paschal mysteries, they may glory in the gift of the resurrection to come. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Help, Lord, the souls that Thou has made. Amen.

END