Indulgences and Spiritual Closure in our Lives
Penance and Reconciliation. In the Catechism, Confession is called the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Both aspects are necessary for the healing grace found in this sacrament of our salvation. After going to Confession, we should not only do our penance but also strive for reconciliation as a result of our penance. Both are necessary parts of our ongoing conversion of life in the pursuit of the spiritual perfection to which Christ Our Lord calls us.
- Penance is for our ongoing conversion of life. When sacramental absolution resolves the eternal consequences of our sins, we are restored to grace and strengthened by it as well. This eternal forgiveness motivates us to seek reconciliation as part of the ongoing amendment of our lives.
- Reconciliation is for the healing of our sins. Out of both charity and justice, the temporal consequences of our sins are addressed as part of our penance. When such reconciliation is not possible due to circumstances beyond our control, we can find spiritual closure through indulgences.
When we die, we will not rest in peace until our venial sins are forgiven and the temporal damages of our already-forgiven sins are resolved, through the prayers of the church in heaven and on earth. In this regard, we should always aim high. If we aim for heaven, we may have to experience purgatory. But, if we only aim for purgatory, we might risk consigning ourselves to hell forever. So, let us obtain God’s forgiveness through his sacraments (John 20:22-23) now.
For information about going to Confession, please click here. For information about God’s mercy, please click here. For information about obtaining an indulgence, please continue reading below. In all our prayerful efforts. motivated by God’s sacramental grace, let us work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) by filling up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, for the sake of his body, the church (Colossians 1:24). Our first priority should always be to bring about reconciliation in fulfillment of our sacramental penance, which is part of the amendment of our lives as forgiven sinners.
Also called the purgative, illuminative, and unitive stages of spiritual growth, the grace of God motivates us to become who God intended us to really be!
Repentance is the first step back to God. When we respond to God’s outreach to us in love, then the forgiveness of our sins is bestowed upon us.
Reform is the next step of becoming holy. We are healed by spiritual conversion therapy to restore the image and likeness of God in and with us.
Renewal is the result of repentance and reform. We are forgiven sinners on the way to becoming saints by the grace of the holy sacraments.
Faith is never alone. It is always accompanied by hope and love, and the greatest of these is the love that transforms us into sons and daughters of God.
Indulgences and Spiritual Closure. There are two practical reasons for obtaining an indulgence. First, we may discover that reconciliation is not possible or practical due to circumstances that are beyond our control. Second, we may be concerned that there may still be temporal consequences to our forgiven sins of which we may not be aware. In both cases, an indulgence is not for the forgiveness of our sins but is instead a pardon for our inability to achieve reconciliation for the collateral damage of our forgiven sins. Here is how to obtain an Indulgence as a path to spiritual closure in your personal life:
- First, go to Confession, with a commitment to be free from any and all attachments to sin, even venial sin. Make it a point to mention why reconciliation may not be possible, despite your best penitential efforts, for the resolution of the temporal consequences of your already-forgiven sins. Any unfinished business needs to be addressed as part of our amendment of our lives in the pursuit of Christian perfection and our pursuit of holiness of life. But, even if we are not seeking an indulgence, we should always leave Confession with the same resolution of avoiding all attachments to sin, even venial sin.
- Second, conscientiously perform one of the following devotions, with the intention of obtaining the Indulgence: Recite the Rosary in church with a group of people or at home with your family, prayerfully meditating on five mysteries; spend a half-hour in reflective prayerful adoration before the Tabernacle in church; spend a half-hour in reflective prayerful reading of the Bible at home or in church; or meditate on the Stations of the Cross in church. Other examples of ways to obtain indulgences are contained in the book, Enchiridion of Indulgences, but these are the main ones.
- Third, go to Holy Communion, and pray the Our Father and Hail Mary for the special intentions of the Pope, upon whose sacramental authority the indulgence is being granted. Then, we should rejoice in the peace of Christ we have received, especially through the offering up of any further active or passive mortifications that may come about in the course of our lives. In Confession as it is practiced today, the assigned penance is completed after the Absolution is granted. With indulgences, however, the Pardon is obtained upon the conscientious completion of the designated penitential actions.
Even after our sins are truly and sacramentally forgiven, the remaining collateral damage of our forgiven sins remains as a task yet to be undertaken.
The eternal consequences of sin are forgiven through the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, and are applied to us through the sacraments. Baptism and Confession are how Christ forgives us our trespasses.
The temporal consequences of our forgiven sins also need to be addressed, out of both justice and charity. Through the power of keys, the church helps us, especially when we are unable to bring about complete reconciliation.
A truly forgiven sinner would not want to just walk away from the mess that they caused, but should seek to repair and restore it as much as possible.
Talking Points about Indulgences. Here are some further discussion suggestions in regard to the healing ministry that indulgences can often help provide.
- Indulgences are not about the forgiveness of sins as such. Indulgences are about the process of reconciliation after the forgiveness of our sins.
- Indulgences were never officially sold by the church. Unauthorized people did sell some indulgences but were corrected too late to avoid a scandal.
- Indulgences are not a replacement for our duty to amend our lives and to address the collateral damage caused by our (already forgiven) sins.
- Indulgences are especially designed for those situations when we cannot personally or effectively address these residual consequences of our sins.
- Indulgences are part of the office of the keys, through which binding and loosing, forgiving and retaining, are spiritually exercised for our healing.
For spiritual closure in your life, especially when reconciliation may not be fully possible, here is a summary of the five steps for obtaining an indulgence.
Confession
Examine your conscience fully, be truly sorry for all of your sins, and then make a good confession to a priest.
Penance
Complete your penance as assigned, amend your life, and seek to be free from all sin, including venial sin.
Reconciliation
Seek reconciliation with others, making restitution for the harm that you have done, as best as you can.
Communion
Prayerfully participate in the Holy Sacrifice ot the Mass and worthily receive Holy Communion at that Mass.
Final Prayers
Pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary for the Pope, thanking him for granting you this holy indulgence.
So, why are we not following up each sacramental Confession with the blessing of an Indulgence? What a practical way of continuing to amend our lives!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Fill me with your Spirit, so that I may live a new life.
Help me to know you, to love you, and to serve you in this world,
so that I may be happy with you, both now and for all eternity.
Thank you, Lord. Amen!
As forgiven sinners, on the way to becoming saints, continue to confess your sins, do penance, and amend your lives!
For a helpful guide to sacramental Confession, please click here. For nearby Confession times, please click here.
For more reflections on the topics of reconciliation and of the amendment of our lives, please click here.
For a discussion about forming our consciences as a way of being conscientious, please click here.