Thursday, December 08, 2016

Trad Christmas Gift Ideas: For your Pastor, Church Militant staff, or home-school-detention students.


Sack cloth Hair Shirt , stitched and hemmed around the edges to stop fraying and loops for the Cincture cord and Rosary
$69.00



A traditional sack-cloth hairshirt with belt and metal buckle


Regular Price: $100.00

Special Price $69.00


Hemp and Manilla rope discipline with seven tails
$49.00


One for each of the deadly sins


Traditional lightweight Rope discipline
$35.00


Traditional style discipline with Capuchin knots
$69.00




I like the Capuchin one. I also like the sack-cloth hair shirts.  Something tells me they aren't available in fleece or Big and Tall sizes.

I know some people who have been looking for such things.  I had no idea they were available to purchase.  Check it out here

Instruments of penance are still used by devout people, guided by a confessor or spiritual director of course.  Some religious orders continue to use the discipline as well as hairshirts, it is said Pope St. John Paul used a hairshirt, and members of Opus Dei may do so as well.  I do not want to mock such pious practices.  I believe ordinary people have many opportunities for penance in the performance of the duties  of their state in life, hence the use of these extraordinary instruments of penance would be for them an unnecessary burden and temptation to pride, as well as making daily life more difficult than it already is.  Signs of that would be a lack of patience, charity, and compassion for the faults of others.

Here's one penance any one can do:


As John of the Cross said, 
"Controlling the tongue is better than fasting on bread and water."





12 comments:

  1. I read somewhere that the reason a dog has many friends is because he wags his tail and not his tongue.

    Just what does a hairshirt do anyway? Uncontrolled itching? Pricking? Burning sensation on the skin?
    I'm too full of myself to wear one and would gloat insufferably while looking down on others.

    No thanks but bless those who choose to wear them for the sake of their conversion and ours.

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    Replies
    1. If I wore one I'd be complaining all day long.

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    2. Same here but I think I would be complaining only to draw attention to my so called suffering. 🙄😐

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  2. I have actually ruined many new articles of clothing because I accidentally cut holes in them in an attempt to rid them of microscopic bits of the tags I find unbearable. I'm no candidate for a hairshirt.
    I was chagrined to find out that the little Fatima children wore a brisly rope as penance, although Our Lady told them not to wear when they slept. Those kids meant business.

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    Replies
    1. I hate that - mono-filament stuff tags are put on clothes with.

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  3. I thought this was a joke till I went to the site. I bought the St Nicholas ornament you pointed out, but I will pass on these. In first grade I had wool pants that nearly drove me and my mother crazy. I refused to wear them. So, I am not a candidate for any of these. Honestly I do not understand how torturing yourself is ever pleasing to God. It seems a variation of S&M.

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    Replies
    1. Did you but that ornament? I hope it is nice - it looked elegant!

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    2. I bought a plainer ornament at Leaflet. Why St. Nicholas in a purple frame?

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  4. Not that this has anything to do with the hair shirts but ...

    For their zeal, love and great charity, our Lady on this glorious feast day has seen to her little sons of St. Francis in such a wonderful way!

    http://franciscanfriars.com/franciscan-friars-of-the-renewal-statement-on-pontifical-recognition/

    "Fr. John Paul Ouellette, the General Servant (superior), expressed his thoughts: “After having been nurtured so faithfully by the Archdiocese of New York throughout these years, most recently in the person of His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and now receiving this confirmation of our charism of renewal from our Holy Father, Pope Francis, we now commit ourselves ever more urgently and zealously to the living out of our consecrated life, in faithful prayer, devoted fraternity, and service to the most poor and needy among us. Please pray with us in praise and gratitude to God, on this special occasion, for his continued blessings on our Community and His Church.”

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  5. It is beautiful. Well made icon like. Frame is red not purple. Love it.

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  6. I didn't say your frame was purple but that I bought a similar icon in a plain, purple frame.

    ReplyDelete


Please comment with charity and avoid ad hominem attacks. I exercise the right to delete comments I find inappropriate. If you use your real name there is a better chance your comment will stay put.