You're listening to Catholic Sprouts, the daily podcast for Catholic kids that strives to plant seeds of faith.

Hey there, Sprouts. Today is Friday, February 22nd, 2019.

It is also the feast of the chair of Peter.

Now remember that Peter was our first Pope,

and he was installed in the office of Pope by Jesus himself.

This is a feast day that reminds us that we have a beautiful, unbroken line of Pope by Jesus himself. This is a feast day that reminds us that we have a beautiful

unbroken line of popes from Peter himself and that our church teaches with the authority

that Jesus Christ gave it long ago. This week on the Catholic Sprout's podcast, we are talking about repentance in an effort

to prepare for a good and holy length this year.

First, we talked about why we sin and, of course, that we are given free will.

Next, we talked about how sin drives a wedge between us and God and has an effect on a relationship with

him. Next, we started talking about repentance and the steps of repentance, including identifying

our sins, asking for God's merciful forgiveness, and finally, accepting God's merciful forgiveness.

Today we are going to talk about the fourth step of

repentance. And this actually comes from the very word repentance. And it is penance. Now, penance

is something that we do. If you're old enough to go to confession, you know that after you have

confessed your sins and been absolved from them, the priest usually gives you some homework or some

work to do. And we call that work penance. Sometimes the priest will ask you to say prayers for certain

people, do certain things, or, I mean, really, they can tell you to do just about anything. Now, I want to make something very clear to you. Your sins are forgiven when you're in the confessional. When the priest raises his hands and blesses you and prays over you, your sins are forgiven.

He gives you the penance afterwards.

There is no thought here that if you don't do the penance, that you won't be forgiven.

It doesn't work that way.

...