The article is well written. Those reading it must read between the lines. Father is speaking about people who had good mental health. These were not individuals who enjoyed pain. These were individuals who were in love with someone and were willing to do whatever they could to atone for sins against the Beloved. They knew how to use corporal mortification without offending the Beloved. They also understood that abusing the body was contrary to the will of the Beloved.
Many of our holy saints, let me name only St. Anthony Mary Claret, then must be counted mad. If you familiarize yourself with his astonishingly fruitful life, you will see that such mortification can be quite salutary. Few saner souls have walked this good earth.
There is a classical work by an early 20th century psychiatrist named William James in which he objectively discusses the difference between religious experience and mental illness. It would do many people well to read it. He’s very good. He shows how to tell the difference. He was required reading when I was working on my doctorate in Spiritual Theology. Fr. Dubey taught him to us.
It was interesting to note that there were saints who were not too well wrapped. However, they did not become saints because of their neurosis or eccentricities, but because despite them, they lead lives of heroic Christian virtue.
We know that St. Alphonsus de Ligouri suffered from scrupulosity, which is a form of anxiety; but he used it well. He acknowledged that he had this condition and he used it to help him live a heroic life of virtue.
St. Francis of Assisi may have suffered from chronic depression. Again, he acknowledges his perpetual state of sadness and made heroic efforts to find joy in his faith and his brothers.
St. Jerome was an eccentric who flew off the handle at the slightest provocation. He humbly acknowledge his struggle. This helped him to grow in humility.
Then you have saints like Teresa of Avila, Jose Maria Escriva and Bl. John Paul II who were the most balanced people in the world.
This thread reminds me of some of the sayings of St. Josemaria Escriva.
That joke, that witty remark held on the tip of your tongue; the cheerful smile for those who annoy you; that silence when you’re unjustly accused; your friendly conversation with people whom you find boring and tactless; the daily effort to overlook one irritating detail or another in the persons who live with you… this, with perseverance, is indeed solid interior mortification.
Don’t say: ‘That person gets on my nerves.’ Think: 'That person sanctifies me.'
The world admires only spectacular sacrifice, because it does not realize the value of sacrifice that is hidden and silent.
The heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and… up! The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body.
More at
escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-subject-151.htm
-Tim-
St. Jose Maria was a very practical saint. He’s right up there with people like Bl. Mother Teresa who did now allow her sisters to do any fasting and abstinence beyond what the Church requires of everyone. She said that what they did each day, when done with a smile and with love, was mortification. There was no need to look further.
The idea is not to get rid of mortification, but to find it and use is appropriately when it presents itself.
In my own community we use the Discipline twice a week. But the rule is simple. “Too much is just as bad as not enough.” It’s meant to be a reminder of our life of penance, not something that we use out of hatred for our bodies or because we get some sensory pleasure from pain. When a superior notices such a deviation, that person is no longer allowed to use the Discipline.
(meaning your spouse, of course). I’ll never forget that, made SO much sense to me…
