Venial sins require some kind of penance. He also signifies spiritual asceticism, penance, discipline and hard work. This was generally dealt with through confession, repentance, and charitable work assigned as penance. The two sacraments of healing are the Sacrament of Penance and Anointing of the Sick. The practice of absolution or of a given penance varies greatly. Mary Magdalene became a symbol of the sacrament of penance and contemplation. The Sacrament of Penance (or Reconciliation) is the first of two sacraments of healing. Many branches have slight variations in their doctrine of absolution and penance. Sacred times are holy days of obligation, feast days and days of penance. Self-flagellation was often seen as a form of punishment and penance. This led to the practice of penance and pilgrimage as a means of curing illness. The Roman Catholic Church believes in observing abstinence and penance. Former nations such as Assyrians and the Babylonians observed fasting as a form of penance. Dom Felice instructs Friar Puccio how to attain blessedness by doing a penance. Their foundational spirit was one of solitude and penance.