Corporal Mortification?

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St.Eric

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Do you practice any form of corporal mortification? If so, in what form? How has it brought you closer to God? What graces, if any have you received from the practice?

I am contemplating doing this in some form or another but really don’t know what method to use. Your (name removed by moderator)ut and experiences would be most appreciated!
 
I will “take the discipline” (light whipping with a flail) if I feel strong impure impulses, and, as I was taught is the custom, say the Miserere during. It subdues those impulses.
 
I get quite enough corporal mortification with the aches and pains of aging and chronic illness, I don’t need to go looking for more, I am content with that which the Lord in his wisdom allows me to bear.
 
I sleep on the floor a lot, almost every night. I’m kind of embarrassed when my parents find me doing it though so I usually make up some excuse. I wish I had a courage to tell them the truth. Anyway, I highly recommend corporal mortification, as long as your not really hurting yourself bad (like making yourself bleed). Cold showers, sleeping on the floor, not eating anything for 24 hours (if your health permits it) are all good forms of corporal mortification. They bring you closer to God because it gives you the opportunity to unite any sufferings you might have with Christ. Try it sometime.

Yours in Christ,
St.BJLabre
 
The problem with corporal mortifications is that it retains the focus on self. Sure, there may be some meditative element to it in aligning one’s self inflicted punishment with that of Jesus but would not doing something for someone else that causes us an inconvienience be more beneficial? Corporal mortifications aren’t listed in the Beatitudes. There almost appears to be a morbid facination with this practice.

We must look after our bodies as they are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we must respect our bodies. Punishing them is verging on to the old Albergensian Herasy.

Luke
 
I have a strong devotion to St. Maximilian Kolbe, and his view on mortification was to seek to accept the sufferings we experience with faith, love and joy. That to me is the hardest thing to do, because I want to complain about the sufferings I experience.

But, I also have been fasting/abstaining twice a week, which has helped me with being more temperate. Regularity, rather than severity, has helped me.
 
Thanks for the replys thus far, they are helpful. I always thought that mortifications helped one to discipline the body, mind, and soul to help us resist temptations and sin. I also thought it helps us bear our sufferings and unite them with Christ’s sufferings. As a pervious post states, I too often complain about my minute sufferings and I am viewing mortification as a way to train myself to give up sufferings to the Lord and bear them with joy, rather than complaint. Is this wrong?
 
Eric - I think you are correct about the minute sufferings so long as they don’t build up inside of one and burst. Remember, we are human and sometimes its okay to have a winge to someone in confidence.

Have you spoken to your local priest about your thoughts expressed in this thread? If you really think you need to go through with some form of mortification, you will need spiritual direction from a priest so you maintain focus and don’t lose yourself in the exercise which can be a real temptation.

Luke
 
Additionally, - PS - as an additional thought, the Human Potential Movement of the 1970’s to the present and eastern religions such as Hinduism etc, require purification of the person from within the person. Christianity is about this happening through the Grace of God, we only need to co-operate with His Will. There is a danger that the motivation for corporal mortification can be through the former and not the latter.

Luke
 
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LukeQ:
Eric - I think you are correct about the minute sufferings so long as they don’t build up inside of one and burst. Remember, we are human and sometimes its okay to have a winge to someone in confidence.

Have you spoken to your local priest about your thoughts expressed in this thread? If you really think you need to go through with some form of mortification, you will need spiritual direction from a priest so you maintain focus and don’t lose yourself in the exercise which can be a real temptation.

Luke
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Good advice Luke. I will speak to my confessor on Saturday. It makes sense to speak with him prior to embarking on this journey.
 
Eric - I have a background in researching New Age cults that often have a mix of existential philosophy and eastern religions in them. One of the primary demands imposed on cult members is “The demand for purity”. Members tend to purge themselves extensively thinking that they will rid themselves of past and present sin or compulsive / negative behaviour. What they don’t relaise is that we are a fallen people through original sin and it is only through Chirst passion and death that we have a chance in salvation if we turn to Him. This is the big difference between us and the cult members. Jesus works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate those parts of our lives that need housekeeping and we in turn ask for His Grace through the sacraments to change our hearts.

For me, corporal mortifications such as wipping, hair shirts or using devices such as Opus Dei use etc, blur the boundaries between our Catholic Faith and the philosophies I have just spoken about.

I do understand the value of temperence and denial as these are character building but we must not feel compelled or feel guilty for not mortifying ourselves ie (fasting though this can be a good practice and is recommend by Our Lord when combined with prayer) - that maybe ol’e nick is trying to take our joy away.

The beautitudes are a good model.

Luke
 
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LukeQ:
Eric - I have a background in researching New Age cults that often have a mix of existential philosophy and eastern religions in them. One of the primary demands imposed on cult members is “The demand for purity”. Members tend to purge themselves extensively thinking that they will rid themselves of past and present sin or compulsive / negative behaviour. What they don’t relaise is that we are a fallen people through original sin and it is only through Chirst passion and death that we have a chance in salvation if we turn to Him. This is the big difference between us and the cult members. Jesus works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate those parts of our lives that need housekeeping and we in turn ask for His Grace through the sacraments to change our hearts.

For me, corporal mortifications such as wipping, hair shirts or using devices such as Opus Dei use etc, blur the boundaries between our Catholic Faith and the philosophies I have just spoken about.

I do understand the value of temperence and denial as these are character building but we must not feel compelled or feel guilty for not mortifying ourselves ie (fasting though this can be a good practice and is recommend by Our Lord when combined with prayer) - that maybe ol’e nick is trying to take our joy away.

The beautitudes are a good model.

Luke
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I completley beleive our slavation is through the grace of Christ alone and not through anything we can do ourselves. I am not a cafateria Catholic, I am rather traditional. My whole reason for looking into mortification is to train my weak flesh to give up sufferings to the Lord and unite my sufferings with his Passion. It is to also train my flesh and spirit to be stronger in the face of sin and temptation. Though it is not me but the grace of Christ working through the mortification. Just as the grace of Christ works through any number of sacrements or devotions.
 
Eric - I see a grace here within you - Go to your confessor on Saturday with Joy and please let the board know of what transpires.

God bless you! 🙂
Luke
 
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LukeQ:
Eric - I see a grace here within you - Go to your confessor on Saturday with Joy and please let the board know of what transpires.

God bless you! 🙂
Luke
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Thank you for the kind words. I will let you know what transpires! God Bless!
 
classic spiritual direction would advise one not to undertake specific corporal mortifications beyond those prescribed by the Church for everyone except under obedience to one’s spiritual director or confessor. that goes with “do-it-yourself” spirituality in general. the goal here is obedience, the mother of the other virtues. classic spiritual direction would also warn against the dangers of comparing one’s own practice with that of others, and to confine one’s discussion and consideration of progress in the spiritual life with one’s director or confessor.
 
Kneeling more before and after Mass or during a large portion of Adoration.
Abstaining from foods/meal.

My attitude tends to be that God sends the crosses, we don’t need to make up our own.

We need to learn how to offer up our impure thoughts/intentions more often and actually trust that the Spirit of God is moving within us when we ask Him to.

Doubtful that God actually stands there and smiles and says “Ah, good child, keep on beating yourself”

Though I understand the reasoning behind diff. forms of mortification, I’m much more an advocate of discipline and offering things up. Let God mortify our spirits, He knows better than we.

Just a couple thoughts…
 
Although corporal mortification is currently out of fashion, I strongly believe that anything which has been part of the meat and potatoes of Christian spirituality for 1700 years ought not to be dismissed out of hand.

That said, I am firmly convinced that the “supererogatory” nature of these exercises requires the affirmation of a spiritual director in all cases. Disiplines such as fasting may be undertaken without specific direction but if you are fasting for more than a day, then you need to have a spiritual monitor.

One of the mortifications best observed is docility under direction.
 
I guess the other thing I need to throw out here is that one of my intentions for taking up some form of corproal mortification is for reparation for sins. Does not suffering in this life that is united to Christ’s passion help to expiate the temporal effects of our sins. This is what I have read a lot, especially as it relates to the lives of the saints and cleansing in Purgatory.
 
**This is an interesting thread. I’ve been reading about Saint Catherine of Sienna and how she practiced mortification. **

Honestly, I think she would be put away today if she did some of the things she did back then in the 1700s For example, she would drink the liquid from leper’s wounds and put her nose close to their wounds to smell the repulsive smell coming from them. I don’t understand this kind of mortification but it certainly made her closer to God.
 
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