What do Catholics think of Mortification of the Flesh today?

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I do this sometimes, but I would prefer to be at Mass when I am awake, my concentration is better, and I’m not nauseated from having gotten up and about too fast.

I put this in the same category as St. Josemaria Escriva having everybody jump up at the first ring of the alarm. It may be a good discipline for some, but not for me at this stage of my life. Sleep is pretty important to my mental and physical health and if I don’t get enough, I can get feeling very ill.
 
I have gone to the 6:30 am Mass when I had no other alternative, and more frequently I go to the 8 am Mass, but I much prefer an afternoon or early evening Mass.
 
With so many having a distorted image of what a human body should look like, I think it is more important to encourage people to do good works like visiting the sick and elderly, take someone homebound out for a walk or to the grocery shop.
 
Like other posters upthread have said, self flagellation should only be done under spiritual direction from an actual priest.

That being said, I would just like to add that extreme ascetic practices are a phenomenon found worldwide in many cultures and in most major religions.
It might be a ceremonial scarring or piercing ritual for coming-of-age, or an attempt to induce visions like the Native Americans or the ever-popular Yogi On A Bed Of Nails.
I’ve heard of secular retreats where they’ll teach you how to walk on hot coals.

I do find it interesting in the media that when a Catholic does this, it’s always creepy, abusive and wrong, but if it’s another culture , it’s all part of their proud, macho Way.

But check with your spiritual director, because these extreme practices, while not an exclusively Catholic phenomenon, can open the door for spiritual or psychological problems if not done correctly.
 
You should only used church laws of fasting if you want to mortify e.g. one large meal and 2 small meals which do not equal to one meal. Or perhaps sacrificing an innocent pleasure to mortify the senses, e.g. not having a smoke when you really want one, or giving up chocolate…those little things we give up during lent.

Extreme Mortification or anything above and beyond what the church recommends should not be done unless your spiritual director has assessed the situation and determine if it is necessary. E.G. it would not be wise to fast of red meat if you have severe anemia or sleep with stones in your bed if you work a job which requires you to have a full nights sleep in order to fulfil your duties
 
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0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
I do find it interesting in the media that when a Catholic does this, it’s always creepy, abusive and wrong, but if it’s another culture , it’s all part of their proud, macho Way.
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I’m not aware of anyone in the modern age who thinks extreme ascetic practices that actually cause pain or injury are a good thing or an admirable thing. The vast majority of people I know would find them barbaric whether done by Catholics, Native Americans or a Yogi.

The “bed of nails” and “hot coal walking” if done correctly by someone who knows what they are doing aren’t really extreme ascetic practices, because they actually don’t hurt very much; they’re psychological acts of getting yourself to lie on those nails or step onto those coals, rather than actual mortifications. Unfortunately, people who don’t know what they’re doing sometimes engage in these practices ignorantly and hurt themselves.

Why Lying On A Bed Of Nails Doesn't Hurt

You've seen magic shows where the magician asks someone to lie down on a bed of nails. How can they do this without getting hurt?
indianapublicmedia.org indianapublicmedia.org
 
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Hawkmaid7 said:
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phil19034:
it’s terrible if you are an albino monk who kills people…
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Princess Bride??
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Da Vinci Code
 
This was in a densely populated suburban area so there were some concerns about “Scaring the Children” given that it was 50 years ago and goths weren’t a thing then.

I remember the stories about “Coffin Girl” in the papers back then.
 
Glennon_P said:
Huh…all along I’ve been bailing out of bed without hitting the snooze button so my better half doesn’t kill me. Little did I know what I was actually doing was practicing mortification!!!
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Hah! I’ve gotten so good at it, lately I’ve been up even before the alarm goes off. I’m a morning person, up at 5:15 am every day. My mortification is at 9 pm when I can barely keep my eyes open. On work days my wife gets up at 7 am, but when she’s off, she sleeps in 'till nearly 9 am. I don’t know how she does it, we usually hit the sack within a half hour of each other. If my wife were to wake up and see me still in bed at 9 am, she’d better check for a pulse…

On the other hand hitting the snooze button and getting yelled at by your wife could be your mortification 😉
EZweber said:
I find that this is much easier than just getting up on time when I don’t have to. Something about having to go somewhere gets my body functioning.
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The Liturgy of the Hours is your friend if you want to get into the habit of early rising. Pray the Office of Readings as Vigils before sunrise…
Tis_Bearself said:
I think fasting and prayer are better disciplines, or something really minor but annoying, like a couple of times I’ve gotten a piece of gravel in my shoe and left it there for an hour before taking it out, and offered that up. The gravel didn’t hurt or cut my foot, it was just annoying.
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Right now in my part of the rural world I live in, it is deer fly season. I think that’s enough mortification for me… and if I manage to swat one, there’s always another standing by to take its place.
 
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