– Spiritual movement that implies the change of life and conversion of the man who, from sin, wants to return to God; penance is necessary:
1Kings 8,33s.46-47 : If they return to you, giving glory to your name, and come to pray and plead with you in this temple.
2Ch 6,24-31.36-39 : When your people Israel, for having sinned against you […] if he returns to you.
2Ch 7,14 : If my people, upon whom my name was invoked, humble themselves, if they seek my face to pray.
Eclo 49,3 : It was divinely destined to lead the people to penance.
Is 1,16-17 : Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Remove your evil deeds from before my eyes.
Jr 3,12-14 : Go, lean towards the north and say with a loud voice: Return, Israel.
Jer 18:8 : But if that nation, against which I spoke, turns away from the evil it has committed.
Ez 18,21-22.30-31 : If, however, the evil one renounces all his errors to practice my laws and follow justice.
Ez 33,11 : I am not pleased with the death of the sinner, but rather with his conversion, so that he may have life.
Mt 3,2.8.11 : Do penance because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Mt 11,21s : The miracles that were done in your midst, they would have repented long ago under the cilice.
Acts 2:38 : Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Rom 2 : 4 : Do you despise the riches of his goodness […] not knowing that God’s goodness invites you to repentance?
– And it is the fruit of divine grace:
Ps 50:12 : O my God, create in me a pure heart, and renew my steadfast spirit.
Jr 24,7 : I will give them a heart able to know me and to know that I am the Lord.
Jr 31,33 : I will instill my Law in him; I will engrave it on her heart. I will be their God and Israel will be my people.
Lam 5:21 : Bring us back to you, Lord, and we will return. Make us relive the days of old.
Zep 3,11-12 : You will no longer be confused because of all the sins you have committed against me.
– It manifests itself with fasting, tears, prayer, wearing mourning garments:
Ps 50:19 : My sacrifice, O Lord, is a contrite spirit, a repentant and humbled heart.
Ez 18,31 : Put away all your faults, to create a new heart in you.
Jl 2,13 : Rend your hearts and not your garments; return to the Lord your God.
Jn 3,5-6 : The Ninevites believed this message from God, and proclaimed a fast, putting on sackcloth.
– Examples of penance:
Mt 26:75 : “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And leaving, she wept bitterly.
Lk 7,37s.48-50 : A sinful woman from the city, […] brought an alabaster box.
Lk 15,11-32 : The youngest said to his father: “My father, give me the portion of the inheritance that belongs to me”.
Lk 18:13 : But he beat his breast, saying: “O God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”
Lk 19,8 : Lord, I will give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone, I will refund four times the amount.
Lc 23,41 : For us this is fair: we received what our crimes deserved.
2Cor 7,10 : Sorrow according to God produces a salutary repentance of which no one repents.
– John the Baptist and Jesus preach penance in view of the imminence of the Kingdom:
Mt 3,1-12 : John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the Judean desert. He said: “Do penance”.
Mt 4:17 : From then on, Jesus began to preach: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
Mk 1,15 : The time has come and the Kingdom of God is at hand; do penance and believe in the Gospel.
– The signs of penance are good works:
Mt 12:35 : A good man takes good things out of his good treasure.
– An example of a penitent is Zacchaeus:
Lk 19,1-10 : There was a very rich man named Zacchaeus, chief tax collector.
– And also, in the parables, the prodigal son:
Lk 15,11-32 : A man had two sons. The youngest said to his father, “My father, give me my share of the inheritance.”
– The publican:
Lk 18,9-10 : Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee; the other, publican.
– The apostles exhort to penance:
Acts 2:38 : Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
– See CONVERSION.
