I am relieved to hear that I'm not the only one who has been given rather strange "advice" when in the Confessional (like the time when, after mentioning my single state, I was told that it wasn't good for a person to be alone, and that I should get married... I was sorely tempted to ask if the priest had anyone particular in mind for me!)
Anyway, the meandering monk, Fr. Stephanos, has written about his own experience as a penitent. His musings in the com-box are also worth reading.
4 comments:
Strangely enough at Mass this evening i nearly burst out laughing! Not a usual occurence honestly! i just rembered the funniest Confession i ever did see. It involved my grandad & a Priest. The Rev Fr had only half a tongue ( i think it was something that happened in the war, but intend checking it out). He used to 'murmer' Mass & we all got used to it. On this occasion Fr Clarke (God rest his soul) was hearing Confessions, & unbeknown, my mother had pushed grandad into the box. No problem, you might think. Well unfortunately Ted (Grandad) had had a stroke & could only say the odd word. After a bit of time we all heard this loud resounding voice shouting 'speak!'. It was grandad & we all i'm sorry to say burst out laughing..may God forgive us!
I was told once for my penance to do something nice for myself. To take some time out...like a bubble bath.
I ended up going back the next week and telling the Priest I wasn't comfortable with that penance and wanted something else. Together we decided on a suitable penance for me.
Intersting; I've not had weird advice ...yet.
Thanks for pointing to Fr. Stephanos' blog; I've not seen it before.
I think it's mighty presumptuous for a priest to inform you that he knows better than God, Who called you to the unmarried state.
Anyhoo.
I once had Father say, "Do you know the sequence of the Mass?" and I thought he meant, like, uh, Opening Prayer, Kyrie, Gloria, Gospel...
So I said, "Sure, Father" and he said, "For your penance, follow along prayerfully with the Sequence for today's Mass. Pray it in your heart."
I rushed back to my seat and furiously flipped through my missal trying to find anywhere that read, "Sequence."
;)
(It was "Veni, Creator Spiritus" - it was Pentecost.)
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