Mortification Quotes

Quotes on Mortification by the Saints

If we do not use great care to mortify our will, there are many things which can deprives us of the holy freedom of spirit that we are seeking in order to fly more freely to our Creator, without always being bogged down with the clay of this earth. Moreover, there can never be solid virtue in a soul that is attached to its own will. - St. Teresa of Jesus

He who does not overcome his predominant passion is in great danger of being lost. He who does overcome it will easily conquer all the rest. - St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

A man should not so attach himself to the means as to forget the end; neither must we give ourselves so much to mortify the flesh as to forget to mortify the brain, which is the chief thing after all. - St. Philip Neri

Oh, how I like those little mortifications that are seen by nobody, such as rising a quarter of an hour sooner, rising for a little while in the night to pray! - St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

He who gives little important to exterior mortifications, claiming that interior mortifications are more perfect, clearly shows that he is not mortified at all, exteriorly nor interiorly.  - St. Vincent de Paul

Our body is a vessel of corruption; it is meant for death and for the worms, nothing more! And yet we devote ourselves to satisfying it, rather than to enriching our soul, which is so great that we can conceive nothing greater -- no, nothing, nothing!  - St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

For the wisdom of the flesh brings death, but that of the spirit brings life and peace, since the wisdom of the flesh is the enemy of God; it is not subject to God's law, nor can it be. And since the wisdom of the flesh is unable to bear the yoke of God's law, it cannot look upon it either, for its eyes are clouded with the smoke of pride.  - St. Peter Damian

Disciplines or flagellations are a species of mortification strongly recommended by St. Francis de Sales, and universally adopted in religious Communities of both sexes.

All the modern saints, without a single exception, have continually practised this sort of penance.

It is related of St. Aloysius that he often scourged himself unto blood three times in the day. And at the point of death, not having sufficient strength to use the lash, he besought the Provincial to have him disciplined from head to foot.

Surely, then, it would not be too much for you to take the discipline once in the day, or at least three or four times in the week. However, the practice of this penance should be regulated by the confessor. - St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Be careful not to admit into your society those delicate and sensitive people who are afraid of the slightest pin-prick, who cry out and complain at the least pain, who know nothing of the hair-shirt, the discipline or other instruments of penance, and who mingle, with their fashionable devotions, a most refined fastidiousness and a most studied lack of mortification.  -St. Louis Marie de Montfort

Exterior mortification is the conquering of the sensual appetites.

Worldlings call the saints cruel, because they deny their bodies all sensual gratifications, and afflict themselves with hair-shirts, disciplines and penances.

But St. Bernard says that those are much more cruel towards themselves, who for the sake of the momentary pleasures of this world, condemn themselves to the eternal torments of the next. Others say that the body should be denied all forbidden pleasure, but despise exterior mortifications, saying that interior mortification alone is necessary, that is, the mortification of the will. Yes, it is in the first place necessary to mortify the will, but it is also necessary to mortify the flesh; because if the flesh be not mortified, it will have great difficulty in being obedient to God.

St. John of the Cross says, that he who teaches that exterior mortification is not necessary is not to be believed, although he should perform miracles.  - St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

The more one mortifies his natural inclinations, the more he renders himself capable of receiving divine inspirations and of progressing in virtue.  - St. Francis de Sales

Some subordinate their progress in perfection, which consists in denying their desires and likings out of love for God, to their own tastes and whims. So strong is this inclination that even if they are commanded by obedience to do something which is to their liking, they immediately lose their desire for it, and all interest in it, because their one desire is to do their own will.

The saints did not act this way. - St. John of the Cross

Be as eager to break your own will as the thirsty stag is to drink of the refreshing waters.  - St. Paul of the Cross

I shall have nothing for my own particular use, except the crucifix I wear on my breast, my little hand-bag, the case with my sermons in, my writings, my Breviary, my Rule, my hair-shirt, my little cross with sharp points, my spectacles, my rosary, the two disciplines, the one I use at the community exercise and the one I use at my secret penances at night, a little holy picture of the Immaculate Conception, the framed picture of St. Vincent Ferrer, with which I bless the sick: this is all I shall keep for my own particular use. - St. Leonard of Port Maurice

There was once a solitary who had built himself a royal palace in the trunk of an oak-tree; he had placed thorns inside of it, and he had fastened three stones over his head, so that when he raised himself or turned over he might feel the stones or the thorns.

And we, we think of nothing but finding good beds, that we may sleep at our ease. - St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me. -- St. Matt. 16.24.

This is all that is necessary in order to become a follower of Jesus Christ; the denying of ourselves, and the mortifying of self-love. Do we desire to be saved? we must conquer all, to secure all. How wretched is the soul that allows itself to be guided by self-love!

Mortification is of two kinds; interior and exterior. By interior mortification the passions are conquered, and particularly that which prevails over us most. He who does not overcome his predominant passion is in great danger of being lost. On the contrary he who does overcome it, will easily conquer all the rest. Some nevertheless suffer themselves to be swayed by some particular vice, and yet think they are good persons, because they are not overcome by the same vices which they witness in others. "But what will this avail?" says St. Cyril, "a small chink is sufficient to sink the vessel." It avails nought to say: "I cannot abstain from this vice" a resolute will overcomes every thing; when it relies on God's assistance which is never wanting.' - St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Let us read the lives of the saints; let us consider the penances which they performed, and blush to be so effeminate and so fearful of mortifying our flesh. - St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

I say we have been given a guide. I mean the only-begotten incarnate Word, God's Son, who shows us how to walk along this road that is so well lighted. He says, you know "I am the way and truth and life. Whoever walks in me walks not in darkness but in light." He is Truth, and there is no falsehood in him.

And what road has this gentlest of teachers built? He has built a road of hatred and of love.

He so hated and despised sin that he avenged it on his own body with great pain, derision, torture, and reproach, his passion and death -- and not for himself (for the poison of sin was not in him) but only as a service to us, to satisfy for our sins. He gives us back the light of grace and relieves us of the darkness that had entered our soul because of sin. - St. Catherine of Siena

He who wishes to find Jesus should seek Him, not in the delights and pleasures of the world, but in mortification of the senses. - St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Tell me, you who in your arrogance mock at Christ's passion, you who, in refusing to be stripped and scourged with Him, deried His nakedness and all His torments as foolish and vain things like the illusions which come to us in sleep, what will you do when you see Him who was stripped in public and hung on the Cross shining in the glory of His majesty, surrounded by the angelic host, with His immeasurable and incomparable splendor round about Him, more glorious than all things, visible or invisible? What, I say, will you do, when you behold Him for whose shame you now have nothing but scorn, seated on the fiery throne of the tribunal of Heaven, and judging the whole human race in the dreadful judgement of His justice? By what rash boldness of presumption do you hope to share in His glory, whose shame and injuries you scorned to bear? -St. Peter Damian

Just as one must will only what God wills in order to be a saint, so also, one must judge things as God judges them, in order to be wise. Now, then, who knows whether your opinions always conform to God's? How often have you found yourself mistaken in your judgments and decisions? -St. Vincent de Paul

There were two saints in the desert, who had sewed thorns into all their clothes; and we seek for nothing but comfort! -St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

Where there is no great mortification there is no great sanctity. -St. Philip Neri

I scourge both flesh and spirit because I know that I have offended in both flesh and spirit. -St. Peter Damian

Without mortification nothing can be done. -St. Philip Neri

There is more security in self-denial, mortification, and other like virtues, than in an abundance of tears. -St. Teresa of Jesus

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