Take up your cross
Yesterday, I mentioned in a post the importance of being “counter-cultural”. I can’t think of a greater way to be counter-cultural in our pleasure-first, narcissistic world than to practice corporal mortification, something which apparently Pope John Paul II did. This revelation about JPII (which really shouldn’t be very surprising) has raised the typical bewildered reactions from most people. Why in the world would someone voluntarily choose to sleep on the floor and even to whip himself?
Although the practice of corporal mortification has a long history in the Church, it is practically unheard of today. But it is simply one (albeit severe) type of self-mortification, which every Christian should practice in one form or another. Self-mortification is denying yourself some legitimate good in order to offer it in union with Christ’s suffering on the Cross. When your mom or dad said to you growing up, “offer it up!” that was self-mortification. We have been called to take up our own crosses, so denial of pleasure is part and parcel of the Christian life.
Mortification was central to the life of the early Christian. St. Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 gives a litany of hardships he has endured to preach the Gospel, and being a Christian for the first 300 years after Christ’s death meant living a mortified life leading possibly to a martyred death. But all of this mortification was not usually actively chosen, but simply a result of being a Christian.
After the legalization of Christianity, many Christians wanted to find ways to imitate Christ’s and Paul’s sufferings in their own lives. So many Christians – starting with St. Antony of the Desert – chose to engage in practices to mortify the flesh. By doing so, they desired to both be intimately united to Christ’s sufferings, and also to master their fleshly desires. This is the beginning of self-mortification among Christians: mortification freely chosen for spiritual benefits.
Today there are many ways to practice self-mortification which don’t involve anything like whipping oneself or other severe practices. One of the best ways to do so is at the dinner table. Turning down seconds, not putting butter on your bread, and drinking water instead of soda are all small mortifications which can be offered in union with Christ’s Passion for others. Another way of mortifying oneself is to allow others to get their way in small things. You are beat tired but your kid wants you to read to him when you get home from work? Denying yourself your desire for legitimate rest in this instance is another type of mortification. Other examples include fasting, taking cold showers, getting up early each day or even putting a pebble in your shoe.
But of course corporal mortification gets the most press, as it is the most severe type of self-mortification. Examples of corporal mortification include the “discipline” (i.e. whipping oneself), wearing a cilice, or wearing a hairshirt. These are all traditional – and legitimate – forms of self-mortification which saints have engaged in for centuries. But one important word of caution: NEVER UNDERTAKE CORPORAL MORTIFICATION EXCEPT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR! I can’t emphasize this enough; not doing so could lead to health problems as well as spiritual pride and an unhealthy masochism.
But we all should engage in some type of regular self-mortification. Discovering the mortifications that JPII underwent is a great incentive to us to take up our own small crosses in our lives and unite them to the Great Cross of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls.
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Eric,
I have been linking your blog often. I’ve just added you to my Blogroll and Favorites. Much success on a very beautiful effort!
D.v.
Sleeping on the floor might be okay. Some sort of self-inflicted physical punishment does not sound like the religion I was raised in and love.
Another excellent post. I am always looking for “little ways” to please my spouse and, by the grace of God, advance in sanctity. thanks for the suggestions.
One question, where can I get a hair shirt? When I asked the lady at Walmart, all I got was a blank stare.
Robin, You can get a hairshirt at http://www.cilice.co.uk/hairshirts.php.
Re “NEVER UNDERTAKE CORPORAL MORTIFICATION EXCEPT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR!” Where does this notion come from? I see it again and again on spiritual blogs. How many people have spiritual directors? The Church used to ask a lot of corporal mortification from her people en masse, and now if you want to fast you have to see a spiritual director? It makes no sense.
For my money, getting spiritual direction before buying a television or going to the movies would make some sense, but nobody suggests it. There you run the risk of serious temptations to mortal sin whereas if you go off the track with corporal mortification, you run the risk of a little pride or maybe some loss of health- nothing in comparison to the risk you run in flirting with serious temptation in the media.
GET YOUR SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR’S PERMISSION BEFORE GOING ON THE INTERNET! Lots of people could use that admonition, but no one will say anything of the kind.
Lee,
I do not include fasting under corporal mortification as I defined it. You do not need a spiritual director to fast (in fact, all Christians should fast regularly). I would argue, however, that you should have a spiritual director if you are going to fast more than about twice a week.
The reason we need spiritual direction for intense corporal mortification (such as using the “disciple”) is that we are usually unable to properly judge our own spiritual life. We think we are further along than we are, and then when we fail at some spiritual practice, we get discouraged (or if we succeed, we get proud).
For example, I decided to become Catholic right before Lent 1992. I was a junior in college. For my first Lent, I decided to give up food. Yes, food. I decided to fast every day except Sunday, eating only a small dinner each night. After a half-week, I was miserable and cranky. After two weeks, I was unbearable to be around. After three weeks, I had given up, crushed that I was not as spiritually mature as the saints.
A spiritual director would have quickly squashed my delusions of spiritual grandeur before they had a chance to harm me. He most likely would have recommended starting with one day of fasting a week so that I could enter into it with the proper motivation and attitude.
Also, I don’t disagree with your advice about the dangers of television and the Internet. If either of these two technologies are causing spiritual harm, I would recommend getting rid of them as well.
‘Denying self’ is saying “no” to self-dependence and selfish pursuit. ‘Take up your cross’ is assuming suffering related to extending and enhancing the Kingdom of God that would not otherwise occur. ‘Take up’ infers a voluntary action.