Meaning and Efficacy of Penance

Part IV of a Lecture Series Given by Fr. Ermatinger

La Penitente, Pietro Rotari, circa 1750

Outline Of Talk

Meaning and Efficacy of Penance

  • Intro/Prayers: 0:00-1:18
  • “Quiz”: 1:18-1:59
  • Lord’s First Public Words Were “Repent”: 1:59-3:55
    • Programs of Lent: Am I Any Different after 40 Days: 2:44-3:22
    • What is Penance For Me?: 3:22-3:55
  • Why Are We So Inconstant? Why is Our Life of Penance so Inefficacious?–
    • Focused on What We Are Doing Rather Than Whom We Are Doing It For: 3:55-8:55
    • Focusing on the Austerity Without Changing: 5:00-8:55
      • Fallen Nature and Passions: 5:26-5:43
      • Laxity of the Church: 5:43-8:55
        • Example of Card. Kung: 6:00-8:55
          • Sustained by Fastings and Penances of Catholics: 7:34-8:55
  • Mitigated Stipulated Penance – Naivety of People Doing It Out of Conviction: Fallen Nature: 8:55-9:40
    • Fruits of Lack of Penance
  • Distinguish Penance from Remorse: 9:40-15:50
    • Remorse is the Bite of Conscience: 9:40-10:31
      • Demons and Damned Experience Remorse and Shame
  • Mistaken Belief that Penitence is a Collection of External Practices of Expiation: 14:37-15:50
  • Penance is an Attitude: 15:50-23:53
    • Penace is What Lovers Do: 17:30-17:40
    • Rather Than Denying Things, We are Denying Ourselves: 17:40-18:35
    • Disorder in Heart, Resultant From (Forgiven) Sin, Has To Be Reordered in This Life or Purgatory: 18:35-18:58
    • Dialogue of Divine Providence: 18:58-19:51
    • Longing for God Pleases God Infinity: 19:51-20:08
    • The Desire for God Repairs the Scar of Sin: 20:08-22:00
    • Fallen Nature Makes The Choice Difficult: 22:00-23:53
      • Playing Mindgames With Ourselves: 22:30-23:53
  • Take Up Your Cross, Not Someone Else’s: 23:53-25:55
    • We Are Called to Imitate Christ in Our State in Life, Not the Saints
  • Fueled by Charity and Humility: 25:55-29:24
    • Austerity is a Byproduct, Not a Fruit: 26:20-27:00
    • Penance Demands Our Whole Selves: 27:00-29:24
      • Prayer and Penance Must Go Together: 27:45-29:24
  • Dont Live For the Minimum: 29:24-31:50
    • Mistaken of Minimum Applied to Sin: 29:35-31:50
      • Is This Good to Do? Does This Give God Glory?
  • God Gives Us the Grace to Live the Relationship with Authenticity: 31:50-34:38
    • Just Do It: 32:50-33:11
    • Christ is the Protagonist, Not Us: 33:11-34:17
    • One of Our Enemies is Our Imagination: 34:17-34:38
  • Traps Along the Way: 34:38-35:50
  • Regularity and Consistency Leads to Growth: 35:50-39:18
    • Asent of Mt. Carmel: 37:04-39:18
      • Denial of the Senses is Not an End In It of Itself
        • Making Space for Christ
  • Is Penance Necessary For Salvation?: 39:18-43:03
    • One’s Cross is Perfect For Them: 40:40-41:13
    • Penance is for All: 41:13-42:20
      • Prayer and Penance Aught Not Impede the Living Out of One’s State in Life: 42:20-43:03
    • As We Grow Our Ability Grows: 43:03-43:24
St. John Resting His Head Upon Christ’s Breast

— Fr. Ermatinger

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part I: The Purgative Way Part I — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part II: The Purgative Way Part II — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part III: Memory and Virtue — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part IV: Meaning and Efficacy of Penance — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part V: Introduction to Mystical Marriage — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part VI: Passive Night of the Senses — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part VII: 3rd and 4th Mansions: Beginnigs of Contemplation — Click Here

The Goal of the Spiritual Life, Part VIII: Active Purification of the Spirit — Click Here

The Goal of the Spiritual Life, Part IX: Final Purgation of the Soul — Click Here