In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast, Fr. Rob and Fr. George Elliot discuss why, even after we’ve confessed our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, it is encouraged to perform acts of penance as a means of repairing the broken relationship with God and reforming our souls to the original state after we’ve received baptism. Fr. Rob compares the need for penance to a broken window. God can be the homeowner whose window broke and we are the ones who broke that window. God forgives us after we broke the window, but the window is still broken. Penance is a means of repairing that window so that the storms in our lives do not flood the inside of the home.
Listen to the previous episode where Fr. Rob and Fr. George Elliot discussed how the Christmas season can be a lonely time for a lot of people. Firstly, priests may experience a particular loneliness when they celebrated multiple liturgies in a short time and suddenly after Christmas, there far less going on. Sometimes, this can also be a difficult time for priests because they are away from their families and unable to visit home. Fr. Rob’s advice to parishioners is to be kind to their priests. Priests may not be able to attend parties or dinners, but show kindness in the small ways.
Priests aren’t the only people who can experience loneliness in the Christmas season. People in any stage of life can experience loneliness. The expectations around Christmas cultivated by commercialism, movies, and the culture at large can set up unrealistic expectations in people. So, Fr. Rob and Fr. George advise to set more healthy and realistic expectations and find joy in what is.
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