Pastor Lamar Partin of Santa Catalina Roman Catholic Church in Tucson noted that with all the debates going on as we edge toward Election Day, he is reminded of Mortification, the Redemptorist's virtue for September. 

It is a rarity to hear about mortification anymore, but Fr. Partin believes that all should be acquainted with it.

"In the spiritual life mortification refers to voluntary actions by which we gradually 'put to death' all of our vices, sinful habits and self-centered tendencies," he said in the church's Sept. 20 bulletin. "Today we commonly use terms such as sacrifice, self-denial or doing without to express the spiritual practices we voluntarily perform."

Mortification comes from two Latin words, "mors" and "mortis," both of which mean death.

Partin urged parishioners to reflect on the resentments and other attachments in their lives and pray for the grace to overcome them.

"From the time of the early church mortifications have been part of our spiritual discipline," Partin said in the bulletin. He quoted Luke 9:23, which states that if someone wants to be a follower of Christ he should renounce himself and "take up the cross" while following Christ. He also mentioned Mark 8:35, which says that anyone wanting to save their life will lose it, but someone who loses their life for the sake of Christ or the gospel will save their life.

Continuing on with Scriptural examples, Fr. Partin referred to 1 Corinthians 9:27, stating even Paul wrote that he would "pommel [his] body and subdue it."

"St. Alphonsus distinguishes external mortification as: fasting, controlling one's tongue and internal mortification 'the discipline of the heart,' overcoming aversions, resentments and dangerous attachments," Partin said in the bulletin. "While both kinds of mortification are important, Alphonsus views the internal as both more demanding and more fruitful for spiritual growth."