Are there any Catholics here who could give me a little technical expertise with this book I'm writing?
What is a typical "assignment" (and what is it officially called, anyway--ablution??) that a Priest would give you after confession in terms of the number of Hail Marys and Rosaries you should say. How would the Priest term it?
A typical penance would usually consist of asking to say/pray a certain numbers of Our Fathers, Hail Marys, etc. There is also a standard Act of Contrition which is said in the confessional before parting. The priest may also ask/suggest/tell you to make amends, or at least think about making amends. Basically, at least in my experience - albeit limited - with Confession, you were given something to do immediately after leaving the confessional - i.e. saying prayers - and then something to think about and do later - i.e. doing some sort of good deed, be nice(r) to your family, make an extra donation at mass, etc. The penance had to be something that would take some time and effort and thought, and technically would "hurt" in a sense - a sacrifice. If Jesus could hang on the cross...
My Confessional Anecdote - I had my First Confession when I was in the fourth grade. I was enrolled in public school at the time, and was taking CCD classes on the Naval Base in Groton, CT. -My father was stationed at the Coast Guard Academy at the time in nearby New London, CT. We had a series of classes leading up to the First Confession. The origin of the Sacrament itself. The purpose of the Sacrament. And the "mechanics" of the Sacrament. After a few weeks, it finally was the day for the First Confession. So, I'm walking around the chapel building and go in the door I saw everyone else going in. When I walk in, there's the priest sitting there in a chair with an empty chair in front of him. It was an Open Confession - meaning face to face! Now, we had discussed the options in class, but I has just assumed that we would have the typical kneel behing the small screen type of confession. I guess not. I still remember being caught off guard and extremely nervous. Well... I did it, and it wasn't too bad. We prayed first. I confessed my sins - and, yes, you can talk in general terms. I was absolved of my sins and then given my penance by the priest. Then I walked out of the room. Whew!
-Apparently, others were caught off guard too. The "closed" option was available, but there was a certain time slot for that, if I'm remembering correctly. But what was really fun and funny, was a couple of us got together after we had confessed and compared penances! Just like in the movies!
Oh, and the other sacrament you refer to is Confirmation which is basically like becoming an adult in the Catholic church. Lots of classes/education for this one too. The only thing I did not like was the holy oil,
chrism, that was placed on my forehead (anointed). Boy, did that stuff make me itch! But I couldn't touch it! At least not in church. -Oh, and for some not so random reason, I'm remembering I got some neat gifts from my parents and sponsors, and we had a nice lunch at a favorite Chinese restaurant.
...My how the minds works...
