The Roman Catholic Church has often held mortification of the flesh (literally, "putting the flesh to death"), as a worthy spiritual discipline. ... The purpose of mortification is to train "the soul to virtuous and holy living" (The Catholic Encyclopedia, article on Mortification).

What is the purpose of mortification?

The purpose of mortification is to train "the soul to virtuous and holy living" (The Catholic Encyclopedia, article on Mortification). It achieves this through conforming one's passions to reason and faith.

What are examples of mortification?

Mortification is the feeling of humiliation or wounded pride, or something that causes such feelings. An example of a mortification is having your pants split open while on a stage.