Christian corporal mortification has always been understood in … For the theological doctrine, see Mortification (theology). Not to be confused with Corporal punishment. Corporal mortification of the type practiced by Opus Dei celibates, however, is a rare practice for modern Catholics. Let it be your study to imitate their example, and to bear patiently the disagreeable smell which you may experience in the rooms of the sick. Corporal mortification Closeup ... Mortification ("dying to oneself") has had a long history within the Catholic Church, e.g. Mortification is a good and holy thing. For the theological doctrine from a Roman Catholic perspective see Mortification in Roman Catholic teaching. For the Christian metal band, see Mortification (band). For the record label, see Mortification Records. The root of the modern-day perplexity over mortification, according to some theologians, is the "practical denial of God," a denial of any but material realities. His advice to his Missionaries on the subject of mortification is simple: "The Rule does not prescribe any corporal penances. The body is animated by the spirit, the soul, and so beauty is also spiritual. Interior mortification involves invisible penances that others can’t see. Corporal mortification or mortification of the flesh is the spiritual or unnatural practice of causing pain to one's self through bodily injury. How holiness is found in religious life as a consecrated celibate. Corporal mortification received a lot of press recently thanks to The Da Vinci Code. Quotes from Saints on suffering, purgation and the purgativie way, use of the Discipline and the Cilice in religious orders. There is a spiritual beauty in some people who are chronically ill, for example, that supersedes simply physical attractiveness. This is left to their own fervor controlled by obedience. Animated by the spirit of charity and mortification, the saints feel as much delight in the offensive odours which surround the sick and the infected, as they would, in a garden of the most fragrant flowers. Traditional teachings of the Catholic Church on the consecrated life of celibacy; the higher vocation. Corporal mortification is regularly practiced in Opus Dei. They occur internally. The need for redemptive suffering in Sainthood; penance, obedience, self mortification, and sacrifice. All of these examples above are more along the lines of larger corporal mortifications, which sometimes may be beneficial, always under the guidance and with the permission of a spiritual director. The institutional and traditional terminology of this practice in Catholicism is corporal mortification. Michael Geisler, a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature in St. Louis, wrote two articles attempting to explain the theological purpose behind corporal mortification. Corporal mortification and self-flagellation are penances which are acts reparation to demonstrate one’s sorrow for past sins and a way to show a sincere change of heart and conversion. I think that this is a way to unite one’s heart and mind with … It is perhaps one of the most startling aspects of Opus Dei life for people outside the group. Corporal Mortification in Opus Dei. For an overview of corporal mortification in world religions, see Mortification of the flesh. fasting on certain days with prayers, etc. The Rev. The term is primarily used in religious and spiritual contexts. Mortification of the flesh literally means "putting the flesh to death". What is Interior Mortification?