Interior Mortifications

[Nelka]

Please can somebody tell me what these are?

I keep reading about them but I have no idea what they are.

Thanks.

 

[Usige]

Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve understood interior mortification as a form of self denial to interior urges. Fasting is an exterior mortification because it is a physical denial, where as perhaps keeping silent when vanity might prompt you to speak would be interior mortification.

So let’s say you stayed at work late to finish up a big group project without others in the group knowing. In the morning your boss asks who made the final push to get it done. If pride raises it’s head and you want to step forward, but you resist and remain silent, that could be a form of interior mortification. It is all about those things done internally without a physical or visible acts as far as I understand.

 

[mommy_k]

Interior mortification help with aligning your will to God.

It usually targets pride and vainglory. Some examples are, practicing silence especially when you usually give your opinion, doing things and not taking credit, being nice to someone who is not nice to you, and so on.
This sounds easy but it’s not.
A spiritual director can help on an individual basis for interior mortifications, as well.

 

[puzzledtoo]

I’ve never heard of interior mortifications as opposed to exterior. Interesting way of looking at things. I would suggest however (and this is only my opinion) that it is perfectly okay and actually preferable to answer the supervisor or boss when asked who had finished the job or project. While we don’t want to brag we also should be able to accept acknowledgement for a job well done so to speak and there is a difference. Keeping silent in this instance seems to be keeping one’s light under the bushel basket as it were. I think this would fall in the category of false humility. Just my 2 cents on that particular scenario. Be well-stay safe.

 

[Nelka]

So I guess this is a lot to do with humility?

 

[mommy_k]

So I guess this is a lot to do with humility?

Yes and many other things…i would think a good guideline would be to look at the gifts ofThe Holy Spirit and find your weaker areas and develop them…as with anything done as a silent penance.
Also many Saints practiced interior mortifications. St. Teresa Avila and St.Faustina have also written about them as well.

This is very hard to describe…

 

[Wannabe_Monk_16]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I would include this as a form of interior mortification: instead of mentally dwelling on something that is positive (which mostly is not even sinful in of itself), try thoughtfully and intensely contemplating the entire Passion of Christ, slowly and methodically giving Christ company during the entire painful process. I imagine gently rubbing his sweat-soaked back while He is going through His agony in the garden. Or contemplate consoling Our Lady as she is witnessing her Son throughout His Passion.
Please CAF Members, correct me if any of this incorrect!

 

[Eichelbaum]

So I guess this is a lot to do with humility?

It has a lot to do with doing God’s will.

Look, God asks of us that we simply follow the commandments, and that we fulfill the duties of our station in life.

But most of us whine and complain and moan about absolutely everything remotely uncomfortable, especially about those things that we have to do, and especially when they don’t go our way.

So we want to practice mortifications? We should stop whining and accept the things that are uncomfortable as coming from God’s hand. We should work to fulfill our station in life in a happy and obedient and dutiful manner, rather than running around like an hysterical and headless chicken at every opportunity to do so.

We don’t need to do big things, we just need to do little things out of love.

 

[DBT]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I would include this as a form of interior mortification: instead of mentally dwelling on something that is positive (which mostly is not even sinful in of itself), try thoughtfully and intensely contemplating the entire Passion of Christ, slowly and methodically giving Christ company during the entire painful process. I imagine gently rubbing his sweat-soaked back while He is going through His agony in the garden. Or contemplate consoling Our Lady as she is witnessing her Son throughout His Passion.
Please CAF Members, correct me if any of this incorrect!

This is definitely true! The more we strive to pray without ceasing the more we realize the importance of maintaining custody of our thoughts. Recalling our mind back to God continually throughout our day is certainly an interior mortification. For those interested, St. John of the Cross speaks at length on the purification of our memory in both The Ascent of Mount Carmel and the Dark Night.

Dave