Fulfilling the Catholic Church's Call to Penance and Repentance

in the Modern World

The Confraternity of Penitents

"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."  (Jesus's words as recorded in Matthew 22:37-38)

Following Francis, Following Christ

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Saint Francis Receiving the Message from the Crucifix of San Damiano

by Giotto

1267-1337

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
all praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.



To you, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.



All praise be yours, my Lord,
through all you have made,
and first my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day;
and through whom you give us light.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor;
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.


All Praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon
and the stars; in the heavens you have made them,
bright, and precious, and fair.


All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Brothers wind and air, and fair and stormy,
all the weather's moods,
by which you cherish all that you have made.


All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
so useful, humble, precious and pure.


All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how cheerful!


Full of power and strength.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through our Sister
Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers
and herbs.


All praise be yours, my Lord,
through those who grant pardon for love of you;
through those who endure sickness and trial.
Happy are those who endure in peace,
By You, Most High, they will be crowned.


All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your will!
The second death can do them no harm.


Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks
And serve him with great humility.

--St. Francis of Assisi

The Canticle of the Creatures

St. Francis Preaching to the Birds

by Giotto

1257-1377

 

"Repent and believe the Good News!" 

Penance means conversion. The Confraternity of Penitents is a world wide private Catholic association of the faithful, completely loyal to our Pope and the Magisterium. 

Our Rule of Life has been reviewed by our bishop and recognized in these words:  "this Rule does not contain anything contrary to our faith; therefore it may be safely practiced privately by you or by anyone inclined to do so.  . . . His Excellency is appreciative of your efforts to live and promote Franciscan spirituality and especially promote the neglected practice of penance and he wishes you success" (January 30, 1998). 

 Members of the Confraternity of Penitents live this Rule in their own homes, devoted to prayer, penance, fasting, conversion, and works of mercy modeled on Jesus Christ and inspired by the lives and teachings of

St. Francis,

St. Dominic,

St. Therese,

St. Benedict,

St. Augustine,

St. Ignatius,

and all the saints, most especially Mary, the Mother of God, who lived a life of true penance (conversion) in perfect union with our Lord.

May Our Lady and all the saints intercede for all who wish to embrace a life of penance, anywhere in the world, so that the grace of God will assist them to obtain every virtue necessary for a life of holiness and surrender to the Will of God! Amen.

PRAYER OF PENITENTS
"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." (Saint Francis's prayer before the San Damiano Crucifix)


MISSION OF PENITENTS
"Go and repair My House which, as you can see, is falling into ruin." (The message given to St. Francis in a voice from the San Damiano Crucifix.)


ACTION OF PENITENTS
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.


FOLLOWING FRANCIS, FOLLOWING CHRIST

A Monthly Reflection on the Life and Teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi as They Relate to the Rule and Constitutions of the Confraternity of Penitents

June 2012 

Three Hours of Penance

I recently did three hours of penance. I planted our garden's pole beans and corn. This meant turning over, with fork and shovel, three raised garden beds, smoothing the soil, adding manure and lime to the garden, planting the seeds, inserting the poles for the beans, and putting into place rock slabs that I use between the rows to keep out the weeds. I had not thought of this as penance until I discovered, in my research for a book on Saint Francis, that medieval penitents considered manual labor to be penance.

Well, they were right! However, I can't congratulate myself on my three hours of penance when many people around the world daily spend eight to twelve hours or more doing manual labor, that is, doing penance.

How many of us know that we are doing penance when we do manual labor? How many of us think of God while working? Saint Francis wanted his friars to work with their hands. Even on his deathbed, he said that he always worked with his hands and he still wished to. He saw the value in manual labor because Jesus was a manual laborer when He was a carpenter. Francis, in his profoundly simple theology, realized that if he could imitate Christ, he would draw very close to God. This is what motivated Francis all during his life of conversion. Francis wanted to pray and assist the needy because Jesus did these things. He fasted and wore poor clothing in imitation of Christ. He walked the roads of Italy and exhorted the people to penance because Jesus did this. And Jesus worked with His hands. So did Francis.

We know that Francis rebuilt three churches. We know that his friars carried water for others and worked in the fields beside the day laborers. Francis and many of his brothers cared for lepers, tending their gardens, bathing their sores, and begging for them. Unlike the noble monks who lived in monasteries and had lay servants, the friars wanted to earn their living. Begging was an afterthought, done out of necessity if those for whom they worked were niggardly and refused them any food as payment (the friars refused to take money for their work, but they would accept food for the day). We follow Francis well if we do manual labor, but only if we do it to glorify God as best we can. How do we do that? By thinking of Him, praising Him, working the best we can for Him, no matter how mundane the task.

Every season of the year brings its own manual labor, even to those who live in apartment buildings and work in offices. They may not be tilling gardens or shoveling snow, but they will have  housekeeping chores to do, cars to fix, and clothes to mend. How much time per day do you spend doing penance while doing manual labor? Might the labor go better for you if you offer it up, not just as something you have to do, but as a gift of penance (conversion) to God? You will be aware of your conversion to Him if you think of Him as you work, giving to Him the work of your Hands, for He made the hands with which you work.

May God be praised in all his works, forever.

Madeline Pecora Nugent

Confraternity of Penitents

520 Oliphant Lane

Middletown RI USA

02842-4600

401/849-5421

bspenance@hotmail.com

copenitents@yahoo.com