The Infinite Merits Available to Us

The penance the priest gives us when we confess our sins, if it is prayed devoutly, not only makes atonement and helps us avoid sins in the future, but also removes the temporal punishment we still must satisfy. The two kinds of punishment due to our sins are: eternal punishment for unforgiven mortal sins and temporal punishment, lasting only for a time, due to venial sins and to mortal sins already forgiven. We must strive to have the best disposition possible in performing our penance, so that our temporal punishment may be completely remitted.

The Church Militant is in a true battle against Principalities and Powers. The attacks of the world are not always overt. The subtle and repeated propaganda is often far more dangerous to the faithful. So that we may triumph in this battle, we must rely on a strength superior to our own. We see how generously Our Lord offers assistance when reading about the debt being forgiven in the Gospel for today. In the parable, Christ contrasts the debt of a whole world against the worth of one soul, and shows how easily the good king forgives it. We are never left without divine assistance.