Most of the time we don’t think about prisons. Occasionally we are reminded of their existence when we hear in the news that someone has been convicted and jailed for their crimes. Some cases spark more public interest and scrutiny, and when they do, it’s usually because of a perceived leniency, inadequate to the severity of the crime. Another aspect of prisons, resurfacing occasionally in public discourse, is the cost of keeping inmates locked up. It is usually referred to as too high and often unfavourably compared to the cost of other social services. At the heart of those arguments is a common conviction (excuse the pun) that imprisonment is a punishment meted out to criminals on behalf of society. Such a belief appeals to our instinctive, visceral need for justice and a penalty is a fundamental component of it. It’s been held by humankind since time immemorial, reflected by the well-known phrase: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” (Exodus 21:24)
You might remember that we heard this phrase read out six weeks ago, on the last Sunday before Lent, when Jesus recalled it in his Sermon on the Mount. It must have pleased His audience back then, just as it remains a popular view these days too, even earning some politicians approval rating points. However, in Jesus’ case it didn’t when He quickly followed it up with His advice: “But I tell you, don’t fight back against someone who wants to do harm to you. If they hit you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too.” (Matthew 5:39) In Western societies we have come a long way from seeing imprisonment as punishment only – the harsher the better – to offering inmates a chance of rehabilitation in order to avoid reoffending after their release and instead make a positive contribution to society. Of course, such a noble ambition isn’t easy to achieve. “Lock them up, throw the key away and let them rot in jail” seems to be more just and appropriate, not to mention that it’s cheaper.
However, it’s much less obvious when we apply the same standards to our own misdeeds. While most likely they are not of a criminal nature, nevertheless they can be quite painful for others to bear. Those affected might rightly seethe with anger, but we have our own reasons or justifications (however shaky) for our offending actions. “Deal with it” is a useful, further infuriating phrase used to express our refusal to apologise, correct or redress the situation. The final, fifth episode in our Lenten series “Five Steps to a Good Confession” addresses this problem.
Interestingly enough, in my brief research, I’ve found a various number of descriptions of this step, such as “Do the penance the priest assigns you” but none of them really do this step justice. Perhaps the main difficulty is that the English language doesn’t have a specific word that concisely contains the meaning of this step. The English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church uses the word “satisfaction” which isn’t fully satisfactory (excuse the pun again…). Thankfully, a full explanation is given: “Many sins wrong our neighbour. One must do what is possible in order to repair the harm (e.g., return stolen goods, restore the reputation of someone slandered, pay compensation for injuries). Simple justice requires as much. But sin also injures and weakens the sinner himself, as well as his relationships with God and neighbour. Absolution takes away sin but does not remedy all the disorders sin has caused. Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins. This satisfaction is also called penance.” (CCC 1459) Although the Catechism refers to sacramental confession, this rule applies to our everyday dealings with people. As I mentioned at the beginning of Lent and this series, the usefulness of “Five Steps to a Good Confession” isn’t limited to one particular sacrament; on the contrary, they are very good at helping us to grow into full maturity.
A common perception that “one Our Father and ten Hail Marys” prescribed by a priest as the act of penance does the trick has eroded the meaning of this step to a point of mockery. It has also unintentionally created the attitude that whatever damage has been done by inappropriate or sinful actions, it can be “sorted out” by reciting some religious rhymes while those affected must “deal with it” by themselves. That can’t be right. To describe accepting responsibility for our actions, in English we have a wonderful phrasal verb: “to own up.” Mature people take ownership of their attitudes, behaviours and actions and consequently try to remedy, compensate or rectify any negative outcome. Such an ability to own up and to act upon it quickly builds up our positive reputation among people as well as helping us to avoid repeating the same mistakes. The ability to get away with our bad behaviour produces complacency at best or encourages ever-riskier actions at worst. Owning up can lead to a sense of short-term shame but whips us up to do the right thing and in the long term can only be beneficial. So, do your “one Our Father and ten Hail Marys” if you must, but don’t stop there. Own up and take charge of your life, like an adult.
