At the conclusion of this past Sunday’s chat, the question of the relationship of prayer and mortification emerged from the conversation.
To address this from the perspective of St. Francis de Sales, and to engage our chatters next Sunday, June 1st, we quote from a book, The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales, by Bishop Camus, Chapter 6, the Necessity of Combining Self Denial with Prayer.
“The Bishop ( St. Francis de Sales) held that mortification without prayer was a body without a soul; and prayer without mortification was a soul without a body. He protested against their being separated, saying that they should join, like Mary and Martha, in the service of our Lord. He used to compare them to scales, one rising as the other falls. If you would lift up the spirit through prayer, you must crush down the flesh by mortification ; otherwise the flesh will override the spirit, and hinder it from rising to God.
The lily and rose of prayer and contemplation do not grow and flourish save amid the thorns of selfdenial and mortification. We can only approach the “ hill of frankincense,” which is the symbol of prayer, by means of the “mountain of myrrh,” which is mortification.‘ Incense itself, the very type of prayer, does not give forth its perfume until it is burnt, and prayer without self-denial will not rise up to heaven as a sweet odour.
It is when we die to self and to selfish passions, that we live to God, and then He will feed us in prayer with the bread of life, and the manna of His inspirations.
Our blessed Father used to say on this subject, that “we ought to live in this world as though our spirit were already in Heaven, and our body in the grave; ” alluding to S. Paul’s words, “ Our conversation is in Heaven,” ’ and the Psalmist, “ Like unto them that are wounded, and lie in the grave, who are out of remembrance.”
St Francis de Sales Introduction to the Devout Life, Part 111, Chapter 23 , On the Practice of Bodily Mortification, is another good reference for this topic.
Join us Sunday June 1st at 730PM E. S. T. to develop these thoughts and help each other grow in this virtuous aspect of prayer and mortification.