On Penance and Mortification

A Talk by Fr. Ermatinger

2019

An Anchorite Reflecting on Death, Henry Nelson O’Neil, 1840

Outline of Talk

On Penance and Mortification

  • Intro and Prayers: 00:00-1:38
  • Intro for Mortification and Penance: 1:38-7:25
    • Not Exactly Popular: 2:03-2:40
      • Haven’t Been Done Away With
    • Jesus’ First Public Words Were, “Repent and Do Penance”: 2:40-3:10
      • Needed to Follow Christ
    • From St. Alphonsus de Liguori: 3:10-4:00
      • St. Paul: No Other Glory Than the Cross of the Redeemer
      • Worldings Search Pleasures of the Body / Followers of Christ Seek Corporal Austerities
    • Modernity’s Overfocus on Bodily Health: 4:00-7:25
      • Aside: Actress 4:00-6:06
      • The More Self-Absorbed, the More Detached From Reality, the More Depressed: 6:06-6:40
      • GK Chesterton: Only Living Things Can Go Against the Current: 6:40-7:25
  • Jesus Calls Us to Change: 7:25-8:23
    • There Will Be Pain Involved In Following Jesus: 7:25-7:40
    • No Simple Formula But a Continual Battle: 7:40-8:23
      • Saints Never Graduate from Mortification and Penance
        • Rather, They Increase
  • Definition: 8:23-11:25
    • Mortification (to Put to Death): 8:23-11:25
      • Shouldn’t Talk About One’s Own Mortification and Penances Publically: 9:24-9:52
      • Need to Talk About Principles and General Practices: 9:52-11:25
        • It Is Ok Not to Like Mortification: 10:44-11:25
      • Shouldn’t Be a Dramatic Exercise: 11:25-11:25
  • Principles: 11:25-16:18
    • Need to Do One’s Work: 12:02-12:36
      • Need to Do Penance and Mortification – Degree is Case-Specific
    • Become Vivifying As We Are Configured to Christ: 12:36-13:59
      • Effeminacy – Being Soft / Coddling Oneself: 13:59-15:13
    • Corporal Mortifications are Constants In the Lives of the Saints: 15:13-16:18
  • Mortification and Penance Are Part of the Virtue of Religion: 16:18-18:10
    • Religion Is a Sub-virtue of Justice: 16:18-17:44
      • Rights and Duties 17:23-17:44
    • What We Owe God: 17:44-18:10
  • Modernity’s Problem With Mortification and Penance: 18:10-28:29
    • Not Immanentists or Pelagians: 18:10-18:30
    • Have to Be in a State of Grace and Supernatural Intent: 18:30-21:10
    • If You Don’t Accept, It Is a Faith Problem: 21:10-21:50
      • Faith Means Receive God’s Grace and Act On It: 21:50-22:41
    • Tithing is a Duty Tied to Penance: 22:41-23:21
    • Divine Revelation Isn’t Really Needed to Know the Need to Sacrifice: 23:21-23:52
    • Last 400 Years Western Culture Has Been Subjected to Subjectivism: 23:52-24:53
      • (ultimately immanentism)
    • Everyone is Their Own Theologian: 24:53-25:19
    • Aside: The Coal Man Story: 25:19-26:22
    • Faith is Receptivity to Revealed Truth: 26:22-27:40
    • Drama of Atheist Humanism (Book): 27:40-28:29
  • Purpose of Mortification and Penance: 28:29-36:38
    • Frees Us up to Love: 28:26-30:22
      • No Longer Ruled by Appetites and Passions
        • Will the Good of Another: 29:41-30:22
    • We Cannot Give What We Don’t Have: 30:22-30:48
    • Self-Mastery Comes About Through Asceticism: 30:48-31:27
    • St. Alphonsus de Liguori: Self-love is Antithesis of Love: 31:27-32:28
    • St. John of the Cross: 32:28-35:01
      • World Least Difficult.
      • Devil Hardest to Understand.
      • Flesh is Most Tenacious
        • Body / Soul are not Evil but Have Evil Inclinations
    • St. Teresa of the Andes: Mortification Brings About a True Union with Others: 35:01-36:38
  • The Practice of Mortification and Penance: 36:38-53:20
    • The More It Becomes a Habit, the Easier, and the More Pleasing to God: 36:38-37:39
      • As an Act of Love it Becomes Truly Joyful
    • Various Acts of Mortification and Penance: 37:39-38:55
      • Need Moderation
      • Need Constancy
    • Other Means of Mortification: 38:55-41:16
      • Hair Shirt 
      • The Discipline
      • The Cilice
    • Moderation and Consistency are Where Real Progress is Made: 41:16-42:35
      • Our Lord Said to St. Faustina: Prayer and Suffering Saves Souls: 42:22-42:35
    • Internal Mortification is Necessary: 42:35-47:39
      • Vanity, Sensuality, Pride Need Mortification
      • Confessor/Spiritual Director is Necessary: 44:10-44:48
        • Helps to Better Understand How the Devil Works: 44:48-45:32
      • Need to Deny Appetites: 45:32-47:39
        • Detrimental: Fasting but Cultivating Appetite/Desire:
    • Reorientate the Will to Will the Things of God: 47:39-53:20
      • Start Small and Build: 47:39-50:09
    • St. Alphonsus de Liguori: If Bodily Weakness Renders Us Unable Embrace the Bodily Weakness that God has Visited Upon One:   49:19-50:09
    • Our Challenges Are Limited By the Length of Our Lives: 50:09-50:52
    • The Need to Be Discrete: 50:52-52:11
    • Don’t Lose Sight of Small Sacrifices: 52:11-52:40
    • The Degree of Efficacy Is the Degree of Love By Which It Was Done: 52:40-53:20

 

— Fr. Ermatinger