Mortification

Saint Paul writes: "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live." Mortification of the flesh means "putting the flesh to death." Jesus Himself preached repentance from the slavery to fleshly desires when He said: "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."

Mortification can mean simply denying oneself pleasures such as meat or alcohol. More severe forms of mortification include self inflicted pain such as scourging. When we meditate on the sorrowful Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for the grace to be mortified. Mortification obtains for us union with God and in some cases a higher place in heaven. When we mortify ourselves we can obtain the conversion of sinners and expiate our sins as well as the sins of others.

The redemptive value of mortification allows us to grow in virtue. It keeps us from becoming soft and lukewarm which is what our Lord despises. Let us pray today for a true spirit of mortification.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching