disposed to ascend by steps, in the vale of tears." Wherefore
Paul says (1 Cor. 15:9): "I . . . am not worthy to be called an
apostle because I persecuted the Church of God."

Reply Obj. 3: These durations of time are fixed for penitents as
regards the exercise of external penance.
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NINTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 84, Art. 9]

Whether Penance Can Be Continuous?

Objection 1: It would seem that penance cannot be continuous. For it
is written (Jer. 31:16): "Let thy voice cease from weeping, and thy
eyes from tears." But this would be impossible if penance were
continuous, for it consists in weeping and tears. Therefore penance
cannot be continuous.

Obj. 2: Further, man ought to rejoice at every good work, according
to Ps. 99:1: "Serve ye the Lord with gladness." Now to do penance is
a good work. Therefore man should rejoice at it. But man cannot
rejoice and grieve at the same time, as the Philosopher declares
(Ethic. ix, 4). Therefore a penitent cannot grieve continually for
his past sins, which is essential to penance. Therefore penance
cannot be continuous.

Obj. 3: Further, the Apostle says (2 Cor. 2:7): "Comfort him," viz.
the penitent, "lest perhaps such an one be swallowed up with overmuch
sorrow." But comfort dispels grief, which is essential to penance.
Therefore penance need not be continuous.

_On the contrary,_ Augustine says in his book on Penance [*De vera et
falsa Poenitentia, the authorship of which is unknown]: "In doing
penance grief should be continual."

_I answer that,_ One is said to repent in two ways, actually and
habitually. It is impossible for a man continually to repent
actually, for the acts, whether internal or external, of a penitent
must needs be interrupted by sleep and other things which the body
needs. Secondly, a man is said to repent habitually. And thus he
should repent continually, both by never doing anything contrary to
penance, so as to destroy the habitual disposition of the penitent,
and by being resolved that his past sins should always be displeasing
to him.

Reply Obj. 1: Weeping and tears belong to the act of external
penance, and this act needs neither to be continuous, nor to last
until the end of life, as stated above (A. 8): wherefore it is
significantly added: "For there is a reward for thy work." Now the
reward of the penitent's work is the full remission of sin both as to
guilt and as to punishment; and after receiving this reward there is