On Corporal Mortification

As a result of original sin, man no longer has complete dominion over his senses and his flesh; therefore he is filled with evil tendencies which try to push him toward what is base. St. Paul humbly admits: “I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good…. For the good which I will, I do not; but the evil which I will not, that I do” (Romans 7:18,19).

God certainly gives us the grace to overcome our evil tendencies; but we must also use our own efforts, which consist in voluntary mortification: “They that are Christ’s have crucified their flesh, with the vices and concupiscences” (Galatians 5:24). The purpose of corporal mortification is not to inflict pain and privation on the body for the pleasure of making it suffer, but to discipline and control all its tendencies which are contrary to the life of grace. The Apostle warns us “if you live according to the flesh, you shall die: but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live” (Romans 8:13).

We must curb ourselves in order to avoid falls; we must prune the useless or harmful branches in order to avoid deviation; we must direct toward good the forces which, left to themselves, might lead us into sin. For these reasons mortification, although it is not an end in itself nor the principal element in the Christian life, occupies a fundamental place in it and is an absolutely indispensable means toward attaining a spiritual life. No one can escape this law without closing off all access to eternal salvation, to sanctity. St. Paul, who had done and suffered much for Christ, did not consider himself dispensed from it, and said, “I chastise my body and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

2. St. Teresa warns us that “if prayer is to be genuine it must be reinforced with this practice [of mortification] for prayer and self-indulgence do not go together” (Way of Perfection, 4).It would be an illusion to think that we can reach intimacy with God without the serious exercise of physical mortification.

In this regard, we must take care that love of our own body and of our physical welfare does not cause us to reject all penitential practices under the pretext that they will ruin our health. In reality, there are many corporal mortifications which, without the slightest danger to our health, have the great advantage of keeping our spirit of generosity on the alert by the voluntary acceptance of a little physical suffering. If we are to be generous in this respect, we must “rid ourselves of all inordinate love for our body” (ibid., 10), that is, of all excessive preoccupation about our health; and we must put aside all anxiety about food, clothing, rest and comfort. “This body of ours,” says St. Teresa, “has one fault: the more you indulge it, the more things it discovers to be essential to it… and if there is any reasonable pretext for indulgence, however little necessity for it there may be, the poor soul is deceived and prevented from making progress” (ibid., 11).

Anyone who wants to advance on the road to sanctity and union with God must be ready to sacrifice everything, even in the physical order, to the point of “giving up his skin and everything else for Christ,” as St. John of the Cross says. He teaches, however, that in these matters we must always depend on our superiors or confessors; “corporal penance without obedience is no more than the penance of beasts” (Dark Night of the Soul I, 6, 2), because it prefers a material practice to obedience “which is penance of the reason and discretion,” and is, therefore, the sacrifice most pleasing to God.

Prayer:    O Lord, help me, I beg You, to free myself from the slavery of the body! Teach me to conquer its extravagant demands and to mortify its pretensions. You have given me this body of flesh, in order that I may serve You on earth. Grant that it may not become an obstacle to me and hinder the generous, total gift of my whole self to You.

+ Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene  O.C.D.   (Divine Intimacy)

The post On Our Own Mortification first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #130430 ( 07min) Play – Father shows how St. Catherine lived the opening words of today’s Intriot, Dilexísti iustítiam et odísti iniquitátem – Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity, in bringing the Papacy back to Rome from France. Can we say the same about Christians in America? When the iniquity of abortion is all around us, and most Christians are passive spectators? Shame and woe to those Christians who are passive in the face of iniquity. Too many of us live like unbelievers searching for pleasure and comfort, but if we embrace lives of rigor and mortification, like St. Catharine, we too will love justice and hate iniquity.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Catharine of Sienna, Virgin –  – 3rd Cl – Form: EF, Dilexisti

Readings: 
1st: 2co 10:17-11:2
Gsp: mat 25:1-13

Audio (MP3)

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The post Apr 30 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Thou Hast Loved Justice and Hated Iniquity first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #130709 ( 06min) Play – St. Nicholas Pick and his companions were martyred for the Faith in Holland by Calvinists in 1579. Fr. Benedict points out that, in the face of death, the things of this world appeared as the vanities they are, and the love of God is the only thing that matters. For us, we must “die daily” to the vanities of life in order to prepare for our own death, whenever and however it may take place.

“For the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us … I would rather endure death for the honor of God than swerve even a hair’s breadth from the Catholic Faith.” – St. Nicholas Pick

Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Nicholas Pick and companions – 3rd Cl – Form: EF, Emisi vos
Readings: 
1st: eph 6:10-18
Gsp: luk 6:22-28

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The post Jul 09 – Homily – Fr Benedict: St. Nicholas Pick – Nothing Else Matters first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #131022 ( 11min) Play – The great Franciscan preacher and one of the greatest penitents of all time, St. Peter of Alcantara, wrote “A Treatise on Prayer and Meditation” which was acclaimed by St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa of Avila, whom he also guided in spiritual direction.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Peter of Alcantara – Mem – Form: OF
Readings: Tuesday 29th Week of Ordinary Time
1st: rom 5:12, 15, 17-19, 20-21
Resp: psa 40:7-8, 8-9, 10, 17
Gsp: luk 12:35-38

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The post Oct 22 – Homily – Fr Benedict: Perfecting Our Prayer Life first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #131119 ( 09min) Play – In the book of Maccabees, Eleazar gives a stunning example of faith in his old age by not compromising God’s laws, even at the penalty of torture and death. He was concerned with leaving a noble example for the young, teaching them to mortify their desires and never to compromise their faith, no matter how small the issue.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Agnes of Assisi – Opt Mem – Form: OF
Readings: Tuesday 33rd Week of Ordinary Time
1st: 2ma 6:18-31
Resp: psa 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-8
Gsp: luk 19:1-10

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The post Nov 19 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Refuse to Compromise the Faith first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #131214n ( 05min) Play – Today’s gospel shows that Elijah was supposed to return before the Messiah, and Our Lord tells us that this prophesy was fulfilled by John the Baptist. This reference to Elijah is providential because today is the memorial of St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite, and the Carmelites claim Elijah as their founder. Elijah, St. John the Baptist, St. John of the Cross, and Our Lord Himself all tell us the same thing—authentic Love of God is always accompanied by much prayer, much sacrifice, and much mortification, but once we have come into the presence of God, we will never desire anything else.

Ave Maria!
Mass: St. John of the Cross – Mem – Form: OF
Readings: Saturday in the 2nd Week in Advent
1st: sir 48:1-4, 9-11
Resp: psa 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Gsp: mat 17:10-13

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The post Dec 14 – Homily – Fr Maximilian: Union with God-Much Prayer, Much Sacrifice, Much Mortification first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #131215 ( 15min) Play – Life on earth is a hardship but we should be patient, not complain, and always hope in God. Like St. John the Baptist we must resist living an effeminate life, but rather a life of sacrifice and mortification.
Ave Maria!
Mass: 3rd Sunday of Advent – Sunday – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: isa 35:1-6, 10
Resp: psa 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
2nd: jam 5:7-10
Gsp: mat 11:2-11

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The post Dec 15 – Homily – Fr Ignatius: Life is Hard, Be a Man Like John first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #140120n ( 05min) Play – Fr. Maximilian preaches over today’s Gospel, and encourages us to fast and mortify ourselves with joy, because by it we preserve and strengthen our union with Jesus, our Bridegroom.

Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Fabian – Opt Mem – Form: OF
Readings: Monday 2nd Week of Ordinary Time
1st: 1sa 15:16-23
Resp: psa 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23
Gsp: mar 2:18-22

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The post Jan 20 – Homily – Fr Maximilian W: Fasting, Mortification, and Joy first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #140216b ( 19min) Play – Fr. Elias gives us an explanation of today’s readings, that God’s blessings will be given to us to the extent that we follow God’s will as He reveals it throughout history.
Ave Maria!
Mass: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: sir 15:15-20
Resp: psa 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
2nd: 1co 2:6-10
Gsp: mat 5:17-37

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The post Feb 16 – Homily – Fr Elias: Blessed are those who do His Will first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Homily #140221 ( 00min) Play We must demonstrate our faith through our works. Our faith is a faith of action, whether it is in corporal or spiritual works. The message of the Gospel is one that is fulfilled when lived out. In this way it is actualized in our lives.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Peter Damian – Opt Mem – Form: OF
Readings: 
1st: eph 3:14-19

Audio (MP3)

+++Faith with works, faith in action, mortification

The post Feb 21 – Homily – Fr Dominic: Faith Without Works Is Dead. first appeared on AirMaria.com.