text: You might be surprised. I agree with you.  You  give excellent rationales for Christian discipline that is healthy, not self-punishing. A "prayer of the senses (not against the senses)" is a great Lenten focus. Alas, the "mortifications"  of my Catholic youth and young adulthood  were never, ever about Christian gratitude to Christ. To the contrary:  "I deserve to suffer with Christ. I must bear the weight of His cross in addition to my own." 
  
  Mortification, as still taught by some,  mandates self-invented punishment, unhealthy psychologically and spiritually. We know of those who administered sick self-"whippings" or the zealots who wore devices of pain and discomfort to remind them of their unworthiness or the "saints" who pridefully  inflicted upon themselves the pains of Christ's passion (something that always sent me the signal: "Christ, your greatest gift--given freely at 100%--was insufficient. I'll be the hero and keep the pain alive!")
  
  Thanks for your thoughts.