Gracia et Pax vobiscum,
I'm not sure we can honest be concern about the 'over emphasis' of Mortification since it has largely been abandoned by the West and East.
Here is an excerpt from St. Alphonsus Liguori's The 12 Steps To Holiness And Salvation...
He that hateth his life in this world keepeth it unto life eternal. -John 12:25
The virtue of mortification is twofold, exterior and interior. Exterior mortification consists in doing and suffering what is opposed to the exterior senses, and in depriving oneself of what is agreeable to them. In as far as it is necessary to avoid sin, every Christian is bound to practice mortification. With regard to those things which we may lawfully enjoy, mortification is not obligatory, but it is very useful and meritorious. For those, however, who are striving after perfection, mortification, even in things that are lawful, is absolutely necessary. As poor children of Adam, we must fight till our dying day; "For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, for these are contrary, one to another: so that you do not the things that you would." (Gal. 5:17).
It is proper to animals to gratify their senses; it is characteristic of angels to do the will of God. From this a learned author concludes that we become angelic when we strive to do God's will, but we become like animals when we seek to gratify our senses. Either the soul must subject the body or the body will make the soul its slave. Accordingly, we must treat our body as a rider treats a wild horse; he draws the reins tight, lest he should be thrown off. A physician at times prescribes medicines that are very distasteful to the patient, and he strictly forbids injurious foods and drinks, though the patient may desire them. He would be a cruel physician indeed who could be dissuaded from administering medicines because his patient objected on account of their being bitter, and who would allow the sick man to eat and drink what he pleases. How much greater is the cruelty of the sensual man who strives to avoid everything disagreeable or painful to his body in this life, and thereby puts both body and soul in the greatest danger of suffering incomparably for all eternity. "This false love," says St. Bernard, "destroys the true love we should have for our body."
Such misplaced sympathy is in reality only cruelty; for while we spare the body we kill the soul. The same saint, addressing those worldly-minded people who ridicule the servants of God for mortifying themselves, makes use of the following words: "Yes, we are cruel, if you will, towards our bodies when we afflict them with penance; but you are far more cruel towards yourselves when you gratify your sensual cravings, for by so doing you condemn both body and soul to an eternity of frightful torments." Our Lord once said to St. Francis of Assisi: "If you desire Me, take the bitter things of life as sweet and the sweet as bitter." It is useless to assert, as some do, that perfection does not consist in chastising the body, but in mortifying the will. To this Pinamonti replies: "If the vineyard does not bear fruit because it is surrounded by a hedge of thorns, at least the hedge helps to preserve the fruit, for Holy Scripture says: "Where there is no hedge, the possession shall be spoiled." (Ecclus. 36:27).
St. Aloysius Gonzaga had very poor health. Nevertheless, he was so intent on crucifying his body that he sought for nothing but mortification and works of penance. One day someone said to him that sanctity did not consist in these things, but in the renunciation of self-will. He meekly replied in the words of the Gospel: "These things you ought to have done, and not to leve those undone." (Matt. 23:23). By this he meant to say: also mortify the body to keep it in checkand subject to reason. One this account the Apostle said: "I chastise the body and bring it into subjection." (1 Cor. 9:27). If the body is not mortified, it is very difficult to make it obedient to the law of God.
The chapter continues further but I believe the point is made... many have moved far from the Faith of our Fathers.