Performing An Indulgence

[Paddington]

Bob doesn't seek indulgences, but he prays from his heart, reads Scripture, practices obedience, love and sacrifice.

Does he end up with indulgences? Which ones can he end up with? I remember one about reading Scripture intently for about.....20 minutes or more?

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='Paddington' post='1789296' date='Feb 23 2009, 10:33 AM']Bob doesn't seek indulgences, but he prays from his heart, reads Scripture, practices obedience, love and sacrifice.

Does he end up with indulgences? Which ones can he end up with? I remember one about reading Scripture intently for about.....20 minutes or more? [/quote]
I think you need to have the intent to receive the indulgence, but I don't know where I heard that from.

[HisChildForever]

I always thought an indulgence was doing something a little "extra." As Catholics we should enjoy reading Scriptures and do so whenever possible. I don't understand why that would count as an indulgence, as it's nothing "extraordinary" (in the sense that you're not participating in a novena and fasting, etc.).

[thessalonian]

An indulgence is given by the authority of the Church granted to her by Christ. The conditions for most plenary indulgences are perform the required act. Go to confession within 8 days, detachment from sin, receive the Eucharist, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. You can't do an indulgence by accident as the intent to do and recieve the blessings of the indulgence have to be there.

However, having said that, indulgences involve motivating the faithful to do spiritual acts such as prayer, fasting, visiting holy sites, works of mercy, etc.. Doing these acts outside of the indulgence provides spiritual benefit as well. So, while one might not get equal value to an indulgence, certainly there is still benefit in someone doing these things without the intent and knowledge of the indulgence and God certainly honors these actions when done from the heart.

The power of the indulgence is not in the mechanical act either. The indulgence is used to motivate the faithful to do the act that brings about the spiritual good. The indulgence quantifies the benefit, i.e. removal of all temporal punishment up to the time of the indulgence for a plenary indulgence that meets the critera. The same actions done outside the context of the indulgence would have an unquantifiable spiritual benefit, according to the sincerity and purity in which they were done etc.

Edited February 23, 2009 by thessalonian