Penance: The Charism of
the Confraternity of Penitents
Every group within the Catholic Church, whose
members are following a Rule of Life, has a
particular charism. A charism is a way of
following the teachings of Christ in a
particular way so as to effect conversion. The
charism of the Franciscans, for example, is
poverty; the Carmelites, contemplative prayer; the
Benedictines, liturgical prayer and monasticism;
the Trappists, prayer and solitude; the
Missionaries of Charity, service to the poorest
of the poor; the Sisters of Life, defending
human life; and so on.
What is the charism of the Confraternity of
Penitents?
The charism of the Confraternity of Penitents is
penance (conversion), which is the same charism
found in the medieval Order of Penitents, an
Order which existed at the time of St. Francis
of Assisi and whose lifestyle Francis initially
adopted upon his own conversion. When he and his
first followers were on their way to Rome to see
the Pope, bystanders asked them, "Who are you?"
"We are penitents from Assisi," Francis
answered.
The Order
of Penitents
( Picture of a
penitent is a detail of a painting Derelicta by
Alessandro Botticelli (1445-1510)
The Order of Penitents dates back at least to
the third century. Those who recognized the
serious nature of their sins committed since
their Baptism, and who wished to make
retribution for them, were admitted into the
Order of Penitents on the first day of Lent. On
this day, ashes were sprinkled on the heads of
the penitents to indicate their desire to die to
sin and self. The penitents were clothed in a
coarse, uncomfortable cloth called sack cloth
and given a public penance to perform to amend
for their sins. When this penance was completed,
generally after many months or years, the bishop
would then welcome them into full communion with
the Church.
The Confraternity of Penitents has as its Rule
the Rule of 1221 which was a Rule written for
those who wished to practice penance
(conversion). This Rule was a written expression
of the way penitents were already living.
Penitents who enter formation in the
CFP do so on Ash Wednesday.
What Is
Penance?
Penance (conversion) implies a recognition of a
previous unconverted condition. Penitents, in
other words, recognize that they are sinners.
They embrace a life of penance, which is a life
of self-discipline for the love of God, as a
means of deepening and continuing their
conversion. As a means of ongoing conversion,
penitents in the Confraternity of Penitents live
the Rule of 1221 as its Constitutions dictate, making
the Rule fully livable in modern society.
The San
Damiano Crucifix as a Visible Icon of Penance
The symbol of the Confraternity of Penitents is
the San Damiano Crucifix. This is the very
crucifix which brought about the conversion of
St. Francis at whose request the Rule of 1221
was given. The San Damiano Crucifix is the
crucifix of penance, of conversion. The Crucifix
depicts Christ both crucified and
resurrected which is what penitents are to
be--both suffering and victorious. Christ's eyes
are wide, watching the whole world with love,
and the blood from His wounds flows down upon
people under the arms of the Cross. The Crucifix
thus shows us how our love, like His Blood, is
to flow over all, both over those who love the
Lord deeply as do St. John, the Blessed Virgin,
Mary Magdalene, and Mary Clopas and those who do
not love Him such as the centurion and the
people who never believed, all of whom are
depicted on this icon. Love means to wish well
to all and to pray for the salvation of all,
just as Christ died for all because He loves
all. Thus, the motto of the Confraternity of
Penitents is this verse from Matthew 22, verses
37-38:
"You shall love the Lord your God with your
whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all
your mind, (and) you shall love your neighbor as
yourself."
Penance is only an empty word if it is not
embraced in love.
The Crucifix reminds us of our sins, which
penitents must ever keep in mind. On the
crucifix is depicted a rooster which symbolizes
Peter's denial of Christ--a public sin--and,
opposite the rooster, an almost hidden fox which
symbolizes those private sins known only to God
and the sinner. Christ died for all sin, public
and private. Penitents recognize His loving
sacrifice, repent of their sins, and ask for,
accept, and embrace God's forgiveness.
At the head of the Crucifix the ascended Christ
enters glory, surrounded by angels and blessed
by the Father. Heaven is the goal of all
penitents who will gain it by the grace of God.
More information on the symbolism of the San
Damiano Crucifix is on this
link.
Penance in
the Confraternity of Penitents
Penance via the Confraternity Rule is four fold,
as are the beams of the San Damiano Crucifix.
Prayer would be the upper most vertical beam
which points directly to God the Father. Fasting
/abstinence and simplicity of lifestyle are the
two horizontal beams. Apostolate is the vertical
beam which supports the crucifix and grounds it.
The Body of the Crucified and yet Triumphant
Lord covers all four of these beams, showing
penitents that, just as the death of Christ
brought triumph over sin, so the death of self
will bring penitents to new spiritual life.
The figures around the cross portray community.
Our life of penance (conversion), our dying to
our own will and living for God's Will, is done
with the support of others in the Confraternity
and the ultimate support of God Himself.
Conversion is a gift given by God, encouraged by
fellow penitents, and embraced by each sister
and brother in the Confraternity.
At the wedding feast of Cana, Our Lady told the
servants, "Do whatever He tells you." The
Confraternity of Penitents is consecrated to Our
Lady, and she says the same words to its
members. "Do whatever He tells you." The
Confraternity Rule is a means for each
penitent's particular surrender to God, to his
or her conversion. The penitent's vocation is to
live the CFP Rule and to allow God to embellish
it with His particular way of drawing each
sister and brother closer to Himself through it.
The Goals
of Penance
Penitents do not belong to themselves. They are
to belong to God, more and more securely with
each passing day. A life of penance (conversion)
begins with self but never ends there. As each
person is reared in a family, so all people are
destined to live in God's family. This means
that penitents see all people as sisters and
brothers in Christ, and they work to help each
as best they can. They strive to reconcile
with all and to be the first to offer love and
forgiveness.
The mission of the Confraternity of Penitents is
this same mission given by Christ to St. Francis
from the San Damiano Crucifix: "Go and repair My
House which, as you can see, is falling into
ruin." God's House is the Church, yes, but God
also lives in the soul of each person. That is
why the action of penitents is "To pray for
God's specific direction in one's life so that,
through humbly living our Rule of Life, each
penitent may help to rebuild the house of God by
bringing love of God and neighbor to his or her
own corner of the world."
The penitent is not only to turn himself or
herself to the Lord but also to follow God's
guidance in how he or she might help others to
turn to Christ as well. Thus the life of penance
is a life of surprises. One never knows what God
may do, but always the penitent turns to God
with expectation and trust. Always the penitent
can draw more closely to God's Will. Always he
or she can love more deeply and act more
faithfully. The major sins which may have
initially brought a person to a life of penance
(conversion) may be left behind, but the tug to
laxity and imperfection, to self will,
impatience, and frustration remain. The living
of the CFP Rule provides the daily structure for
a continual turning to God and away from self.
Within this lifestyle, the Holy Spirit has much
room to work.
Moment by moment penitents are to live in God's
love, seek His guidance, and do His Will. He
only asks for this current moment. Only this
moment. Then the next moment. And the next. One
moment at a time. Living for God, moment by
moment, is living a life of penance.
Penance is the charism of the
Confraternity of Penitents.
"Lord, we thank You for guiding us through our
trials and for carrying us during the darkest
times of our lives. We praise You for the joys
You have given us and for the love we bear toward
one another. May we see You in all, even those
who are at odds with us. For them we pray, dear
Lord, asking You to bring about reconciliation
in Your time and in Your way. In You we are all
one. Grant us Your grace to be living witnesses
of Your Love to a needy world. We are very
little Lord, but we give ourselves to You. Use
as You wish. May the prayer of St. Francis be
ours, always:
"Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness
of my mind, give me right faith, a firm hope and
perfect charity, so that I may always and in all
things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen."
Confraternity of Penitents
520 Oliphant Lane
Middletown RI USA
02842-4600
401/849-5421
bspenance@hotmail.com
copenitents@yahoo.com
