Three conditions are necessary for Penance…
January 5th, 2008 by timelady
…contrition, which is sorrow for sin, together with a purpose of amendment; confession of sins without any omission; and satisfaction by means of good works.
Damn. We are all pretty broken. Some more than others. And we have all done things we hate ourselves for. Mistakes made when we were too young, or too hurt, to listen, to hear, to speak to ourselves, and say - “No. Do not do this.”
Sometimes, someone gives a story to all that we have done wrong, and shows us ourselves in their history.
We all have done stuff that makes us want to smash a mirror with the loathing. And we try. Try to somehow do better, to tell that accusing image, we are not you, we are not the monster. The loathing is what tells us we aren’t bad - we would feel nothing when we did wrong, if we were the monster.
At least, that is what we all try to tell ourselves, isn’t it. In the end, that is what we have. We all need a little penance. And someone to forgive us.
V, you are forgiven here. You did something bad. You have paid. Contrition, confession - and you try to do good. Let it be.
Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.
I hope you find your key.
