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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"For bodily exercise profiteth little." This has by some been referred to fasting; but away with such a notion! for that is not a bodily but a spiritual exercise. If it were bodily it would nourish the body, whereas it wastes and makes it lean, so that it is not bodily. Hence he is not speaking of the discipline of the body. What we need, therefore, is the exercise of the soul. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Some suppose that by fasting he means bodily exercise. This is not true: fasting is a spiritual exercise. But by bodily exercise he means that which, although it requires great labors, nevertheless brings little profit, and only for a time. Here, he says, piety helps a person. For one whose conscience convicts him of nothing bad both rejoices in spirit here, having sure promises of future blessings, and there will live the true life in very deed. Through comparison the apostle shows the superiority of piety.
Oecumenius
Train yourself to godliness; for physical exercise is of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. Train. That is, accustom yourself. to godliness. Godliness is the diligence and zeal of life with right faith. for physical exercise. It makes the body healthy. However, in comparison it is only for a short time. having promise of the life. Do you see the benefit? …
Western Saints
Ambrose of Milan
Some indeed put it thus, "Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies and not to what is useful." The reference is to that kind of usefulness which is always on the watch for making gains in business and has been bent and diverted by the habits of men to the pursuit of money. …
Thomas Aquinas
Then when he says, bodily exercise is profitable to little, he chooses it over abstinence: first, he shows how it is profitable; second, how godliness is profitable, at but godliness. He says, therefore, that the bodily exercise of fasting and so on are not good of their very nature, but penal. Furthermore, if man had not sinned, they would be useless; yet they are good medicine. For just as rhubarb is good for relieving cholera, so bodily exercise is good for repressing concupiscence. …
Bonaventure
But what is the usefulness of the gift of piety? He says: "Piety is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of the life to come." I do not know what more to add. Do you have temporal goods? Piety is profitable for those; and likewise for spiritual goods. Those who have suffered the slipperiness of the flesh have sometimes been freed through the gift of piety, and afterwards they obtained mercy. …
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