Ascesis

The practice of penance, mortification, and self-denial to promote greater self-mastery and to foster the way of perfection by embracing the way of the cross. Christian ascesis is not a negative attitude to the body or the material world as though ‘matter’ is evil, ‘spirit’ is good. God created both matter and spirit. The aim and the virtue of Christian ascesis is the restoration of that harmony between matter and spirit that God created, sin destroyed and Jesus restored.