You have read through the Bible and have found multiple references to penances such as putting on sackcloth and ashes.
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
And you also remember that Jesus had replied:
The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
You have also read about the many saints like Thomas Moore who wore a hair shirt underneath his fancy clothing and you have wondered about the role of penance in the modern age. In the past severe fasts were held that during the whole period of Lent that only one full meal a day was allowed, and meat, fish, eggs, and milk products were forbidden. Now a days things we have much less stringent and more relaxed fasts and yet you would also like to do a penance that fits in with these modern sensibilities.
In the past a hair shirt was made out of coarse haircloth (which is a rough fabric made usually of horsehair) and you just know that would irritate your sensitive skin. We have soap, shaving cream, and other cosmetic products marked for sensitive skin so why not a hair shirt for sensitive skin?
Ron Coe Church Supplies presents the modern hair shirt training program.
We help you to start slowly to adapt to a life of penance. In Phase I you buy our silk hair shirt penance products. While wearing these shirts under your regular shirt no one will even know that you are performing a penitential act. You will certainly not look dismal, like the hypocrites when wearing our fine silk hair shirts.
In Phase II you move to Rayon which is much coarser compared to silk Don't push yourself to jump into phase II but allow yourself to adapt. If Rayon is too much penance for you at the time you can always return to Phase I until you are truly ready to move forward to Phase II
After a minimum time of six months in Phase II, you just might just be be ready for Phase III. Phase III includes a true hair shirt made out of Camlet. Camlet is made from the wool of the Agora goat which can also be made of mixed fibers - sometimes half hair, half silk depending on how penitential you want to be.
Your friends and neighbors will never realize that you are secretly living a life of penance in modern terms. Won't they be surprised when you die to find that you had been secretly wearing one of our fine modern hair shirts underneath their clothes? If you have the potential to be penitential then don't delay and call our order line now 1-800-PEN-ANCE - operators are standing by to order your penance shirt three pack. If you order by midnight we will include free of charge a slightly uncomfortable penitential shoe device. This is a specially shaped pebble contoured to your sole that you can place in your shoe.
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