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.

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.

One question, where can I get a hair shirt? When I asked the lady at Walmart, all I got was a blank stare.

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.