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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Penance I haven't been able to fulfil	Connie	Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Question: Dear Brother Ignatius, First of all I want to say I sure am glad to see you back on line - I checked time and time again and was hoping and praying you would feel well enough to carry on this vital mission of answering questions on this website. Brother, I went to confession a couple months ago and was face-to-face with the priest in private. Amongst the things he told me to do for penance were to quit smoking. I have not been able to quit yet. I've cut down and then major stressors occur (like finding out I was on the verge of losing my job, despite my greatest efforts not to), and I keep on with the habit. Since this was given to me as part of my penance to perform, I feel I cannot receive Holy Communion again until I quit smoking. Was it wrong for this priest to include this as a penance I must do? Am I correct that I cannot receive Holy Communion until I've kicked the habit? My doctor prescribed the patch and I am hoping I won't lose my job and am trying even harder to perform my best a work, but this is like a dagger hanging over my head, unnerving me and putting me on edge. Thank you
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Connie: Thank you for the welcome back. I thank God that I was able to come back. To my understanding a Priest should give a penance that is reasonably possible to perform. Most priests I know will ask the penitent if he can do the penance suggested. To stop smoking, as an addiction, is a little complicated to be issued as a penance in my view. A penance could be to make proactive steps to stop smoking perhaps. In any event, since you are confronted with a penance that is too difficult for you to perform, you need to either go back to this priest and explain this and ask for another penance, or go to different priest and explain the situation and ask him give you a penance. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Penance I haven't been able to fulfil

Connie

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatius,

First of all I want to say I sure am glad to see you back on line - I checked time and time again and was hoping and praying you would feel well enough to carry on this vital mission of answering questions on this website.

Brother, I went to confession a couple months ago and was face-to-face with the priest in private. Amongst the things he told me to do for penance were to quit smoking. I have not been able to quit yet. I've cut down and then major stressors occur (like finding out I was on the verge of losing my job, despite my greatest efforts not to), and I keep on with the habit. Since this was given to me as part of my penance to perform, I feel I cannot receive Holy Communion again until I quit smoking. Was it wrong for this priest to include this as a penance I must do? Am I correct that I cannot receive Holy Communion until I've kicked the habit? My doctor prescribed the patch and I am hoping I won't lose my job and am trying even harder to perform my best a work, but this is like a dagger hanging over my head, unnerving me and putting me on edge.

Thank you

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Connie:

Thank you for the welcome back. I thank God that I was able to come back.

To my understanding a Priest should give a penance that is reasonably possible to perform. Most priests I know will ask the penitent if he can do the penance suggested.

To stop smoking, as an addiction, is a little complicated to be issued as a penance in my view. A penance could be to make proactive steps to stop smoking perhaps.

In any event, since you are confronted with a penance that is too difficult for you to perform, you need to either go back to this priest and explain this and ask for another penance, or go to different priest and explain the situation and ask him give you a penance.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.