Has anyone experienced this?

  • Thread starter Thread starter johnnyt3000
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

johnnyt3000

Guest
There is a quote by St. Ignatius of Loyola and it goes: “The safest and most suitable form of penance seems to be that which causes pain in the flesh but does not penetrate to the bones, that is, which causes suffering but not sickness”

Have you ever experienced a “pain in the flesh” the way St. Ignatius of Loyola describes it?
 
johnnyt3000 said:
There is a quote by St. Ignatius of Loyola and it goes: “The safest and most suitable form of penance seems to be that which causes pain in the flesh but does not penetrate to the bones, that is, which causes suffering but not sickness”

Have you ever experienced a “pain in the flesh” the way St. Ignatius of Loyola describes it?
Click to expand...
YES!

Sister Mary Francis and her yardstick…:eek:
 
Not sure exactly how to interpret this. I read it as anquish or extreme remorse. When one’s mind and conscious can not relax it can be more painful than a physical illness. It can actually cause physical distress where a person aches, can’t sleep, can’t eat, has indigestion, and can’t hold a clear thought. They sink into despondency.
 
Without knowing the context of this, it’s impossible to know what Ignatius meant.

Ignatius was a soldier and a courtesan before his conversion, and he was wounded in battle. The “doctors” of the time wanted to amputate his leg, and, because of his vanity, he would not have it. It is said that he endured many surgeries (remember the time frame here- no anesthesia, no anti-biotics, etc. :eek: ) to have “fix his leg”. He probably lived the rest of his life in chronic pain.

So, I am guessing this quote may have to do with these experiences, but as I said, context is everything.
 
Life certainly brings many emotional, mental, physical pain and discomfort.
Most of us don’t need to go looking for distress and burdens that we must bear graciously and with faith, maintaining charity towards others.

Words addressed to the Bishop of Leiria by Sister Lucy of Fatima in 1943. Approved appiration

" The Good Lord complains bitterly and sorrowfully about the small number of souls in His grace who are willing to renounce whatever the observance of His Law requires of them.
This is penance, which the Lord now asks: the sacrifice that every person has to impose upon himself to lead a life of justice in the observance of His Law.

For many, thinking that the word penance means great austerities and not feeling in themselves the strength or the generosity for these, lose heart and rest in a life of lukewarmness and sin.

** Our Lord said to me: “The sacrifice required of every person is the fulfillment of his duties in life and the observance of My Law. This is the penance that I now seek and require.”**

fatima.ageofmary.com/penance/duties-of-state/
 
What St. Ignatius meant is mortification of the flesh.
I.E damaging and paining the physical body in order to beat it into submission wholly to the Spirit. Things such as the penances and mortification saints constantly underwent through, such as wearing a hair-vest or jumping into thornbushes and committing other things that made the flesh obey the soul through pain to the body. it is a very real and true and effective way to bring the body into submission and to mortify the desires of the flesh and bring it under control of the spirit.
 
Very poetic. I have experienced pain in the flesh. Pain in the bone has only come from family. That is my penance.
 
hakop said:
What St. Ignatius meant is mortification of the flesh.
I.E damaging and paining the physical body in order to beat it into submission wholly to the Spirit. Things such as the penances and mortification saints constantly underwent through, such as wearing a hair-vest or jumping into thornbushes and committing other things that made the flesh obey the soul through pain to the body. it is a very real and true and effective way to bring the body into submission and to mortify the desires of the flesh and bring it under control of the spirit.
Click to expand...
I like this answer, and have even considered it were I to find a safe way of doing it, but I fear those that would be the quick to utilize this form of penance would be the self mutilators and cutters, who do so for self hatred reasons. I don’t hate myself, but I do hate it when I sin. I think the practice is now discouraged. If I thought the Lord would approve in some way, I would consider it. I would be afraid to tell anybody though, they would think I was nuts.

Cold showers might do the trick, or some sort of fast.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top