In the third chapter of Genesis the first sin of mankind is described and the reason why sorrow and death entered the world is explained. God did not originally intend for the human race to experience those realities. “The wages of sin is death,” says St. Paul (Rom 6:23).

Since then, suffering has been an inescapable part of life, and this continues until death. But sin and death have been transformed through the Cross of Christ. Christ, who had no sin, willed to taste pain and death, and converted them into the means of redemption. No longer is suffering only the penalty of sin: it is also its remedy.

United to the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, suffering, pain, and our death acquire a purifying meaning. We can offer them, as did St. Paul, for our sins and those of all mankind: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Col 1:24). Mysteriously but truly, we are “fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified in him” (Rom 8:17).

There is no avoiding suffering in this life. We are all too familiar with sickness and pain. And if we love greatly, we will inevitably meet sorrow. The egoist suffers only for himself, but one who wants to serve God and others will encounter suffering that comes to him from his loved ones and from the task he has undertaken for love of God. The more one loves, the more life gains in both joy and suffering.

Suffering often comes unexpectedly and brutally. The reaction must be Christian just the same. Everyone in this life receives a cross, but Christians are the only ones who know what to do with it. “At times the Cross appears without our looking for it: it is Christ who is seeking us out” (The Way of the Cross, Station 5). Do what is possible to avoid or remedy pain, then accept the will of God and unite yourself to Christ on the Cross. St. Paul is an example to us: “Afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not

destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor 4: 8-10).

But one should not exaggerate. Most pain is bearable. Even if it is great, one should not feel sorry for oneself. Forgetfulness of self is always best. “this is a characteristic of the just man” says St Gregory the Great (seventh century), “that even in the midst of sorrows and tribulations, he never neglects to concern himself about others” (Moralia, 3, 9). “You said to me: Father, I am having a very rough time,” wrote the Founder of Opus Dei. “In answer I whispered in your ear: Take upon your shoulders the small part of that cross, just a tiny part. And is you can’t manage that, leave it entirely on the string shoulders of Christ. And from this moment on, repeat with me: ‘My Lord and My God: into your hands I abandon the past and the present and the future, what is small and what is great, what amounts to a little and what amounts to a lot, things temporal and things eternal.’ Then don’t worry any more” (The Way of the Cross, Station 7).

People naturally prefer happiness and joy, but it is important to learn to accept suffering with naturalness. Sorrow is only one more sign that we are on pilgrimage on this earth. “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come” (Heb 13:14).

And one day, when God wants it, we shall meet death. There is nothing extraordinary about death either. Many people have died and many more will. Still, it is repugnant to our nature. Accepting it is still not easy; but without being anxious about it, a wise man or woman thinks about it often, accepting it, keeping it in mind, offering it to God, and placing themselves in his hands. The Church has the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to help us in the crisis of grave sicknesses and in preparation for death. Here is another way to increase, by grace, one’s identification with the Passion and death of Christ.

Helpful, too, are words of St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, already an old man when, in the year 107, he was taken to Rome to be thrown to the lions: “My love has been crucified, and there is no fire in me desiring to be fed; but there is within me a water that lives and speaks, saying to me inwardly. ‘Come to the Father’” (Letter to the Romans, ch.7).

Not only does our Lord expect us to accept suffering with joy and a Christian spirit, but he also desires that we deny ourselves, seeking the Cross voluntarily. “If any man would come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Mt 16: 24-25). St. Augustine comments: “That cross which our Lord invites us to take up to follow him more quickly, what could it mean other than mortification?” (Letter, 243, 11).

We know that mortification, sacrifice, self-denial is necessary for Christian life: to get out of the comfort zone; to imitate Christ, identifying ourselves with him; to uproot defects; to acquire self-mastery; to grow in virtue, to co-redeem, offering them up for intentions. The person who is not mortified, who pampers himself, cannot be attuned to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. As St Paul says, the sensual man cannot perceive the things that are of the spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2: 14)

Literally, to mortify something means to cause it to die. So to mortify oneself is, in a sense, to cause one’s own death. St. Paul explains: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness” (Col 3:6). One is to rid oneself of what belongs to the old man (cf. Eph 4:22; Col 3:4). And when the old man is part of oneself, that part must die: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit” (Gal 5:17).

Love of God moves us to see in our weakness not only mistakes, but true sins that led to the death of Christ. We feel a desire to make reparation- to do penance, which means offering God sacrifices for our sins and the sins of others. John the Baptist and our Lord himself cried out “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mt: 3:2; 4:17). Mortification, voluntary sacrifice, is an unequivocal sign of love of God. St. Augustine say it “purifies, the soul, elevates the thoughts, subjugates the flesh itself to the spirit, makes the heart contrite and humble, dissipates the darkness of concupiscence, extinguishes the fire of the passions and ignites the true light of chastity” (Sermon, 73).

See how lovingly Jesus embraces the wood that is to bring him to death (St. Josemaria, The Way of the Cross). Even though the Cross was the instrument of his torture and death, Christ embraced the cross with love because he saw that it was above all the instrument of our redemption. So, too, the Christian should love the Cross, love voluntary mortification, for he sees it as an instrument of his purification, as a way of identifying himself with Christ, as a way of expressing his love of God. In the same way, a mother does not resent the sacrifices she makes for her children, because she loves her children and sees the sacrifices as an instrument to ensure their proper upbringing.

Mortification should be a normal part of Christian life. Many people practice it for other reasons. “See how many sacrifices men and women make, willingly or less willingly, to take care of their bodies, protect their health, or gain the respect of others….Are we unable to stir ourselves at the thought of the immensity of God’s love, so poorly requited by men, and mortify what needs to be mortified so that our hearts may be more attentive to Our Lord?” (Friends of God, 135).

The mortification most pleasing to God is that which helps us fulfill our moral obligations to God and to others. The are many opportunities for sacrifices in carrying out duties with perfection: following a schedule, being punctual, controlling the imagination in order to keep one’s mind on what one is doing, not putting things off, finishing tasks well, and working or studying with intensity. Duties toward others also involve areas for mortification: helping those one lives with in their work or household tasks, smiling when one feels tired, doing what the others want instead of following one’s own preferences in regard to recreation, visiting sick relatives or friends and those who are lonely, listening to those who feel a need to talk, etc.

Pride is a very important area for mortification. Since it is the most tenacious passion and the one hardest to defeat, many mortifications might well be directed at it: not thinking about oneself, not daydreaming about what one has done or might do, not speaking about oneself unless asked, not excusing oneself unless necessary, listening to others and not imposing one’s opinion, not taking oneself too seriously or being offended by friendly kidding, not looking at oneself in the mirror more than necessary, etc.

The mortification of curiosity, the eagerness to know things that are not important, is useful. It is relevant in a number of different contexts: in study, by centering our attention on what needs to be learned; in conversation, by avoiding gossip or criticism of others; in reading, by skipping material that is too easy or lacks cultural or human interest; in following the daily news, by avoiding scandalous or frivolous items.

Mortification is appropriate in choosing with whom to associate. Obviously there are some people we like more and have more to do with because of the ties of family, friendship, companionship, or gratitude. Otherwise, though –in school or the workplace or in an organization or group, one needn’t be guided simply by likes and dislikes. Yes, some people are more likeable than others, often for superficial reasons like looks, but that shouldn’t be grounds for giving them preferential treatment, which is unjust and at times offensive. It’s a good rule to treat those one likes least just as one treats those one likes better.

There are opportunities for mortification in regard to detachment. At times, one can, and even should, resist buying something or postpone that, because it isn’t necessary. One can refrain from using something good for a few days or in some circumstances (e.g., take public transportation instead of the car, skip TV and read a book or have a conversation). It’s a good mortification to give away little objects to which one has come attached: pens, figurines, souvenirs, emblems etc.

Mortification in eating and drinking is a necessity. “The day you leave the table without having done some small mortification you have eaten like a pagan: (The Way, no. 681). More than not eating, this means offering God something: eating or drinking a little less (one glass of wine instead of two), not complaining about the food, eating something one doesn’t like so much, not having seconds or dessert, delaying drinking, not buttering bread, not using gravy, not starting to eat until everyone has been served (which is also a rule of good manners), not eating in between meals, not drinking hard liquor, or certain types of liquor, etc. One needn’t do all these mortifications all the time or the same one constantly. Ingenuity and love of God are the guides here.

Corporal mortifications are sacrifices offered to God by mortifying tendencies of the body. Here, as everywhere else, moderation is required: we shouldn’t damage our health. “By abstinence we have to extinguish the vices of the flesh, not the flesh” says St Gregory the Great (Moralia, 20, 41, 78). But the opposite extreme should be avoided. Being too easy on themselves weakens people; being a bit demanding and austere is one of the best guarantees of long life. Athletes are testimony to the fact that the effort, fatigue, and pain it takes to perform will also- if done with moderation- improve health. St. Paul cites them as an example: “Every athlete exercises self control in all things. (123) they do it to receive a perishable wreath but we an imperishable.” (1 Cor 9: 25).

A number of things fall under the heading of mortifying the body. Posture is one. You can offer up not sinking into an armchair, taking rather a harder or less comfortable seat, trying to sit erect, not crossing your legs. Then there is sleep. Sleep is necessary, and seven or eight hours a night are usually about right. But it’s an excellent mortification to rise punctually when the alarm goes off, instead of grabbing a few more minutes in bed (which always lead to disorders like lateness or sloppy dress). Also part of it is going to bed on time instead of wasting time on trivia. Sleeping on a hard bed can be mortification, and saints have found it a healthy one. Or one can try not using a pillow. But whatever you do, be sure to get a good night’s sleep, because God expects a good day’s work from you tomorrow.

Taking a cold (or cool) shower is another good mortification that makes us stronger by submitting the body to the discipline of the spirit and offers a sacrifice to God. Referring to the fact that within the mystical body of Christ, the Church, we are Christ’s “members,” St Bernard exclaimed, “Weak members should be ashamed of being under a head crowned with thorns” (Sermon, 5; on the feast of All Saints, 9).

The practice of fasting has a long and distinguished history. Starting in the third century and continuing well into the Middle Ages, Christians fasted for twice a week eating only after sunset. Special times of fasting were also observed, including Advent and especially Lent. Today there are reminders in the fasts the Church prescribes for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, when people eat only one full meal and a small amount at breakfast or lunch.

There are many other corporal mortifications in the Christian tradition. St. Thomas More wore a hair shirt as penance under his robes as Chancellor of England. St Dominic and St Francis of Assisi used disciplines (small whips), and the rules of monastic orders and congregations prescribed the use of cilices. They were used by St Teresa and St John of the Cross and by many other religious and lay people. Note, though, that the saints always recommend moderation in such matters. No one should undertake strange or sever penance without consulting his or her spiritual director.

The penance God asks of us has to take shape in the countless small details that improve our service to others and our dedication to God. We need to take seriously our Lord’s words: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:24); ”If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Lk 9:23).

From The Virtues of Holiness, by Juan Luis Lorda, Chapter 27
Photo by Angelina and Antonis on Unsplash