Regina Brett

I grew up Catholic. We went to confession on Saturday, stood in the shortest line, since it led to the priest who gave the easiest penance - usually a few Our Fathers and Hail Marys. We confessed in private, prayed our penance and our souls were clean.

American Journalist

Saint Ignatius

The safest and most suitable form of penance seems to be that which causes pain in the flesh but does not penetrate to the bones, that is, which causes suffering but not sickness.

Spanish Saint

Douglas Coupland

I've always felt like an alien trapped in a human form. We all do at some time or other; for me it's a permanent state, and I'm still unsure if Earth is a penance or a reward.

Canadian Author

Richard Stallman

People sometimes ask me if it is a sin in the Church of Emacs to use vi. Using a free version of vi is not a sin; it is a penance. So happy hacking.

Scientist

Joseph J. Ellis

And the only thing to do with a sin is to confess, do penance and then, after some kind of decent interval, ask for forgiveness.

American Writer

Mike Rowe

Dirty Jobs' is a fun, simple little show with huge themes under it. For me, it's penance, it's redemption, it's a sweaty mess.

American Celebrity

Anoop Menon

I just write by instinct and my screenplays are often the effort of a year-long penance on a subject.

Indian Actor

H. L. Mencken

A Sunday school is a prison in which children do penance for the evil conscience of their parents.

Saint Teresa of Avila

I don't know what heavy penance I would not have gladly undertaken rather than practice prayer.

Mahavira

Start the practice of self-control with some penance; begin with fasting.

Penance often involves personal sacrifice or discipline to show repentance.

Self-discipline

Penance is more serious than a simple apology; it includes action to make amends.

Beyond Apologies

Be aware that penance has religious roots, so use with sensitivity in diverse settings.

Cultural Sensitivity

Penance in Catholicism is often a private matter between the individual and a priest.

Catholic Practice

Catholic penance usually involves specific prayers or acts as a form of atonement.

Specific Action

Penance can be an internal feeling of remorse, not just an external act.

Internal Struggle

Penance implies a deeper emotional regret than just feeling sorry.

Emotional Weight

 It became this economic sanctuary, where they could do penance for their profit-making tendencies -- at five cents on the dollar. So of course, how could you make money in charity if charity was your penance for making money? Financial incentive was exiled from the realm of helping others,

The way we think about...

 of Canterbury ever to have murdered a gamekeeper with a crossbow it was on a Thursday and as a penance every Thursday for the rest of his life he he restricted himself to

Adam Nicolson: The King...

 took lives with guns was now reporting on gun violence perhaps this was my penance I could atone for the lives my father took