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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Penance should involve either mortification (causing bodily discomfort) or some other type of personal suffering (giving up your time for charity work). You could sleep on the hard floor one night a week. You could put a pebble in your shoe and let it bother you. Some slightly easier stuff would be to do your private prayer with arms outstretched until they get really tired and keep holding them up or pray laying prostrate (face down on the floor). Those are a couple ideas. [/quote]

Bodily penance beyond perhaps very minor and limited fasting should not be undertaken except with the advice and supervision of an experienced and competent spiritual director. It can be physically dangerous, and spiritually can promote self-absorption rather than God-centeredness.

“Salutary” (positive) penance ordinarily is far more beneficial. Adding a new prayer, setting time aside for scripture reading, getting more exercise, and especially volunteer work for the needy all ordinarily produce greater spiritual fruit than self-torture. For Christians, Jesus doesn’t need your pain — he had enough of his own. [/quote]

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