"It is necessary to know that one is lost in order to want to be saved." —Madeleine DelbrĂȘl from the book, The Holiness of Ordinary People

Penance Is Necessary For Eternal Life


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There are two things which lead to penance, namely, a realization of our sins and a fear of the Divine judgment…There are two classes of people who are unwilling to do penance, namely, those who disbelieve in the judgment and those who delay their repentance. 

St. Thomas Aquinas 



Temporal Punishment For Sin - A Forgotten Truth

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Penance, after prayer, is the most effective means for cleansing the soul of past faults and even for guarding it against future falls…Penance may be defined as a supernatural virtue, allied in justice, which inclines the sinner to abandon and hate his sins because they offend God, while inclining him at the same time to form the firm resolve of avoiding sins in the future and of atoning for those of the past…For each sin we commit that has been remitted, there remains a temporal punishment and this punishment must be atoned for in this life or in the next. It is to our advantage to make satisfaction in this life and penance is a very important way by which to accomplish this. 

Father Charles Hugo Doyle

Rediscovering Real Zeal For The Salvation of Souls

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My God, grant me the conversion of my parish, and I am willing to suffer all my life whatsoever it may please You to lay upon me; yes, even for a hundred years am I prepared to endure the sharpest pains, only let my people be converted.

St. John Marie Vianney

He Was Not Off The Mark, Was He?