Corporal Mortification, Self-flagellation

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Achatius

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What is the meaning, and purpose behind self-flagellation and corporal mortification?

‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;’ 1 Corinthians 6:19

With this in mind, where does the desire to self-flagellate arise?
 
Corporal mortification is one of the means in which we strengthen the will and the spirit by giving the flesh a hard time. The church has always done this. Christ himself did this (40 days of fasting in the desert). As for flagelation that is reserved for specific orders that make that as one of their corporal mortification practices. Of course it is done in moderation and under strict spritual direction—for these acts can also be a source of pride which would be self defeating.

As for lay people we should practice simple corporal mortification too…cold showers, limited eating, self discipline in sleeping, etc.etc. It shouldn’t be as morbid as the media make it out to be.

Recall that Christ said to the disciples who couldn’t cast out the demons that ‘this one can only be cast out by prayer and fasting’—fasting is the corporal mortification here. Apparently, Christ practiced what he preached.

in XT.
 
Opus Dei’s got you covered.
**New Catholic Encyclopedia (2003): **“**Mortification. **The deliberate restraint that one places on natural impulses in order to make them increasingly subject to sanctification through obedience to reason illumined by faith. Jesus Christ required such renunciation of anyone who wished to come after Him (Lk 9.29). And so mortification, or what St. Paul calls the crucifixion of the flesh with its vices and concupiscences (Gal. 5.24), has become a distinguishing mark of those who are Christ’s.

“All theologians agree that mortification is necessary for salvation because man is so strongly inclined to evil by the threefold concupiscence of the world, the flesh, and the devil, which, if not resisted, must lead to grievous sin. One who wishes to save his soul must, at the very least, flee the proximate occasions of mortal sin. Of itself, such flight involves some mortification. In addition to these mortifications demanded by man’s very condition, the Church, in view of the repeated insistence of the Gospels, imposes other restraints on the faithful. One example is the law of fast and abstinence. And those who, for one reason or other, are dispensed from such regulations, are advised of their duty to perform some mortification in their place.

“Those who seek to advance in Christian perfection must mortify themselves more than ordinary believers are required to do. Christ made the bearing of a cross the price of being His close follower (Lk 14.33). Hence, from early Christian times, many embraced a life of mortification in imitation of the Lord. Those who achieve great sanctity are constantly moved to be like Him in His suffering. But because of the danger of self-deceit in assuming great mortifications, they are advised to submit all penances to the approval of a wise director.”
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**The Bible (RSV): **“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Jesus, Luke 9:23). “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (St. Paul, Col. 1:24).

**Catechism of the Catholic Church (1997): **“By uniting ourselves with his [Christ’s] sacrifice we can make our lives a sacrifice to God” (n. 2100). “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes” (n. 2015).

Pope Paul VI: “True penitence, however, cannot ever prescind from physical ascetism as well…. The necessity of mortification of the flesh stands clearly revealed if we consider the fragility of our nature, in which, since Adam’s sin, flesh and spirit have contrasting desires. This exercise of bodily mortification—far removed from any form of stoicism—does not imply a condemnation of the flesh which the Son of God deigned to assume. On the contrary, mortification aims at the ‘liberation’ of man.” Apostolic Constitution Paenitemini, February 17, 1966.
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As far as self-flagellation. Is that an approved practice?
 
I think it is in Opus Dei, but I am not sure. Maybe it is just a personal decision whether to offer your body to God.

I don’t know where I have heard this but somewhere I heard ‘the body is a temple of God’; does this mean in Corporal Mortification you are offering a ‘sacrifice’ to his Glory?
 
Opus Dei I believe opened the door to this discussion again. I emailed Opus Dei some months ago to inquire if they truly required this practice of their numeraries (single people). The answer that I got was that it was up to individuals and that it was under strict supervision of a spiritual director, and that bodily harm was not permitted. It’s founder, JoseMaria Escherriva (sp?) was known to self-flagellate until he drew blood. It was my understanding that this kind of practice is not what is promoted.

Some folks of Opus Dei also use a chainlike thing that wraps around the thigh and has little barbs that go into the thigh. I’ve been told these do not penetrate the skin, but simply serve as a source of annoyance. A statement from Opus Dei on Corporal Mortification is found here:

opusdei.org/art.php?w=32&p=9316

Now, the Church does not prohibit this. However, I would like to call attention to the fact that before people choose to embark on something like this they have much work to do. There are so many forms of mortification, which is a very good thing to do, that such measures should be last, imho.

Someone already mentions cold showers. However, think of that one thing you really enjoy eating or drinking - something that is pure habit and then begin to deny yourself. That is mortification when done out of love for God. Sacrifice of this nature is like a prayer. It teaches us temperance. It could be using a clock without a snooze, or using soap from a dollar store instead of something one prefers that is more expensive. It may even mean wearing non brand-name clothes for someone addicted to such vanity. You can see that in practicing mortification, one can shed that vanity. These are just a few examples. Mortification involves anything that is difficult for you to give up. For me, spending less time on the computer can be a form of mortification. In the end, I want control over my senses and actions as opposed to being controlled by these things. One becomes free in shedding attachment to these things.

St. John of the Cross writings involve much talk on the benefits of mortification. It is a shame that in today’s parishes, you’ll rarely, if ever hear a priest tell you to “offer it up” or even hear the words mortification. If you find such a priest, he may be a good one to learn from.

When one has tempered everything in one’s life and there is nothing left, then maybe I could see using a discipline and cilice.
 
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Achatius:
What is the meaning, and purpose behind self-flagellation and corporal mortification?

‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;’ 1 Corinthians 6:19

With this in mind, where does the desire to self-flagellate arise?
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Perhaps from the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:27:

2 but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
 
frogman80 said:
:eek: Is this for real?
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Pretty much! Here’s a travellor’s testimony regarding the matter when he came to it.

travelintelligence.net/wsd/articles/art_3017.html

If such self-flagellations and corporal mortifications do exist in Catholic circles, it would be interesting to note down. Especially in the cases of the Opus Dei and with this Filipino procession. I do wonder though if they are even approved by the Vatican, or my people are just plain religiously ardent to mortification 😉
 
St. Catherine of Siena used to wear a belt of nails and sleep on a board with a rock for a pillow. She also sometimes went months eating nothing but the Body and Blood of Christ. All with a merry smile on her face. That’s hardcore. Makes Fear Factor look pretty foolish.
 
Corporal mortifications should only be done under the supervision of a solid confessor and spiritual director. That being said, one mortification that I practice is eating things that are good for me that I do not enjoy.

Every lent and advent I stock up on the Brussels sprouts. Hate 'em. Can not stand the taste. But no doubt they are good for you. Simple and unseen mortification. Ditto for the cool (not cold) showers. I have also done 24 hour bread and water fasts. I simply eat a normal dinner with my family, get up the next day and leave for work quickly (without breakfast), skip lunch at work and come home for dinner. No one is the wiser.

Again, this is not typically a do-it yourself project and should be done under the guidance of a solid confessor and/or spiritual director.
 
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Achatius:
With this in mind, where does the desire to self-flagellate arise?
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Personally, unless you’re a massechist, there is no desire for self-flaggelation, and this is precicely why we discipline our bodies. “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”
It is not that our bodies themselves have done anything wrong. But, because of Original Sin, we have run into a whole mess of problems with the flesh. We “subject our bodies and conquer them”
I practice self flaggelation on first Friday’s, and I hate it. But it keeps my body disciplined. No, it is stupid to endanger one’s health, and like Catherine of Sienna, things like that must be admired but not imitated. But doing small acts of self denial and mortification not only help us to be unselfish, but they also help us realize that our bodies are not end-all items. God is our end. Especially in our culture of selfishness, we need to discipline our bodies to help us focus on the spiritual. Seek the advice of your confession before doing anything extraordinary.

God Bless
 
You can check out en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortification_of_the_flesh

Here is what Pope John XXIII who convened the Second Vatican Council taught in Paenitentiam Agere an encyclical he wrote on July 1, 1962:
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But the faithful must also be encouraged to do outward acts of penance, both to keep their bodies under the strict control of reason and faith, and to make amends for their own and other people's sins...
St. Augustine issued the same insistent warning: “It is not enough for a man to change his ways for the better and to give up the practice of evil, unless by painful penance, sorrowing humility, the sacrifice of a contrite heart and the giving of alms he makes amends to God for all that he has done wrong.” …But besides bearing in a Christian spirit the inescapable annoyances and sufferings of this life, the faithful ought also take the initiative in doing voluntary acts of penance and offering them to God…
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Since, therefore, Christ has suffered in the flesh," it is only fitting that we be “armed with the same intent.” It is right, too, to seek example and inspiration from the great saints of the Church. Pure as they were, they inflicted such mortifications upon themselves as to leave us almost aghast with admiration. And as we contemplate their saintly heroism, shall not we be moved by God’s grace to impose on ourselves some voluntary sufferings and deprivations*, we whose consciences are perhaps weighed down by so heavy a burden of guilt?

🙂
 
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Achatius:
What is the meaning, and purpose behind self-flagellation and corporal mortification?

‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;’ 1 Corinthians 6:19

With this in mind, where does the desire to self-flagellate arise?
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" And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away." (Mt 18:9)

:blessyou:
 
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Sayanz:
the faithful must also be encouraged to do outward acts of penance, both to keep their bodies under the strict control of reason and faith, and to make amends for their own and other people’s sins…
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Even in the middle ages, these extremes were declared heretical, as the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia reports. Whatever the arguments people put forward in their favor, there’s something psychologically unhealthy about this kind of practice.
 
I think our faith tells us to rely on on faith and supernatural outlook and what Jesus teaches than what psychology and medicine teaches; although these have to be taken into account, God’s will prevails.

Jesus said: Take this cup from me (take away discomfort, displeasure, unhealthy bloodletting, psychological and physical torture of scourging and crucifixion), but not my will but yours be done. He talked about the “necessity of suffering” and called Peter “Satan” when the latter tried to stop him.

For your information, there is an entire article on Mortification of the Flesh in Wikipedia which discusses the History of this practice and the Modern Theology behind it, including what the Popes have said. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortification_of_the_flesh

Some quotes:

In the second millennium, Saint Francis of Assisi, who is known to have received the stigmata, painful wounds like those of Jesus Christ, is said to have asked pardon to his body, whom he called Brother ***, for the severe self-afflicted penances he has done: vigils, fasts, frequent flagellations and the use of a hairshirt.

At the latter half of the 20th century, Saint Josemaría Escrivá practiced self-flagellation and used the cilice, a modern-day version of the hairshirt. Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, a modern-day saint who received the stigmata wrote in one of his letters: “Let us now consider what we must do to ensure that the Holy Spirit may dwell in our souls. It can all be summed up in mortification of the flesh with its vices and concupiscences, and in guarding against a selfish spirit… The mortification must be constant and steady, not intermittent, and it must last for one’s whole life. Moreover, the perfect Christian must not be satisfied with a kind of mortification which merely appears to be severe. He must make sure that it hurts.” Like St. Josemaria, Padre Pio and Mother Teresa of Calcutta used the cilice and discipline regularly as means of doing penance.

From John Paul II: Faith in sharing in the suffering of Christ brings with it the interior certainty that the suffering person “completes what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”; the certainty that in the spiritual dimension of the work of Redemption he is serving, like Christ, the salvation of his brothers and sisters.

It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears the way for the grace which transforms human souls. Suffering, more than anything else, makes present in the history of humanity the powers of the Redemption.

From the Catechism: 1430 interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.
 
Corporal mortification and self-flagellation are penances which are acts reparation to demonstrate one’s sorrow for past sins and a way to show a sincere change of heart and conversion. I think that this is a way to unite one’s heart and mind with Jesus who suffered and died for all men out of love.
 
buzzcut said:
Even in the middle ages, these extremes were declared heretical, as the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia reports. Whatever the arguments people put forward in their favor, there’s something psychologically unhealthy about this kind of practice.
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For some people, undoubtedly it is unhealthy to practice some forms of mortification. It would be unhealthy for an anorexic or bulimic to indulge in prolonged fasting, for example.

The key word here is ‘extremes’. How do you define extreme?

Remember the Middle Ages was a time where physical discomfort and starvation were commonplace, and flagellation was routine for serfs and criminals (not to mention some children and wives!)

So if you asked your average Medieval European their opinion about what constituted extreme punishment of one’s body or extreme fasting, their answer would be very different from those who live in our own much more physically pampered age.

How many of us have ever been seriously hungry, even when doing the ‘one moderate meal and two small snacks’ of an Ash Wednesday or Good Friday? Our medieval forebears would, many of them, consider these ‘deprivations’ a normal (or even generous) day’s eating.
 
dafalax said:
St. Catherine of Siena used to wear a belt of nails and sleep on a board with a rock for a pillow. She also sometimes went months eating nothing but the Body and Blood of Christ. All with a merry smile on her face. That’s hardcore. Makes Fear Factor look pretty foolish.
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Lol!

👍 So true!
 
Alice_Marie said:
Corporal mortification and self-flagellation are penances which are acts reparation to demonstrate one’s sorrow for past sins and a way to show a sincere change of heart and conversion. I think that this is a way to unite one’s heart and mind with Jesus who suffered and died for all men out of love.
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👍
 
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