Marininha on Nostr: GN 🌙 For this GN, I'd like to share some thoughts that came to my mind today as I ...
GN 🌙
For this GN, I'd like to share some thoughts that came to my mind today as I was reading some articles in preparation for St. Michael's Lent.
For this 40-day period of reflection and prayer that starts on August 15th (the Feast of the Assumption of Mary) and ends on September 29th, we're supposed to choose a penance: it can be fasting, waking up very early in the morning, abstinence from alcohol, screens, sugar, etc. There are many eligible ones.
I was thinking today how my cultural, and maybe linguistic, background biased me regarding the meaning of “penance.”
The Portuguese word “penitência” carries a strong connotation of punishment.
But thinking about what to pick led me to think about it differently.
I don't see penance as punishment, but rather as the exercise of honest repentance with the opportunity to recognize what is wrong and what is right and how to take the right direction in the present and future.
A penance might be uncomfortable to fulfill, but it's not meant as punishment. Instead, it allows regret to become reflection, given regret really comes from the heart and you're committed to it.
It's an opportunity for renewal around whatever you're struggling with if you take it seriously enough.
Published at
2026-08-11 19:36:41 UTCEvent JSON
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