First the soul, then the body

The body is demanding and insatiable. The Christian must treat it as a slave and not as a Lord. Under the pretext of health, many people are subjected to the despotic fanciful care of the flesh. Using a Franciscan expression: "we will treat our little donkey with caution". Nor sacrifice him to the point of not being able to work, nor give him everything he demands and make him indomitable and dangerous. The formula of Saint Gemma Galgani says everything:

"First the soul, then the body…”

There's a lot of exaggeration in body health care, at the expense of the soul!

"Be fearful - said Saint Alphonsus - that, taking care of your bodily health too seriously, you endanger the health of your soul, at least the work of your sanctification. Think about it: if the Saints had as much care for health as you have, they would never have sanctified themselves” (1)

Saint Therese, talking to her spiritual daughters about the exaggeration of concern for Health, said:

"Since I treat myself with less care and delicacy, I'm much better”

And so it is. The well-treated body, treated with extreme delicacy, is becoming more and more demanding, with serious prejudice to the spiritual life. Ever since we stop caring about him, his ardent desires have slowed down. Our Lord preaches that, in case of need, one must lose the body in order to save the soul. The mortified flesh finds peace. All our uneasiness comes from not establishing this order: "the soul first, the body after".

Reference (1) Saint Alfonso the true wife of Jesus Christ, c. VIII.