Chapter 35. Remedies against Anger and Hatred

Anger is an inordinate desire of revenge. Against th vice the Apostle strongly speaks: “Let all bitterness an anger, and indignation and clamor, and blasphemy be pt away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one t another, merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hat forgiven you in Christ.” (Eph. 4:31-32). And Our Saviot Himself tells us: “Whosoever is angry with his brother sha be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matt. 5:22).

When this furious enemy assails you, let the followin considerations help you overcome its movements: Cor sider, first, that even beasts live at peace with their kin Elephants do not war upon one another; sheep live peace ably in one fold; and cattle go together in herds. We see th cranes taking by turns the place of guard at night. Stork stags, dolphins, and other creatures do the same. Who dog not know of the friendship between the ants and the bee: Even the wildest animals live united among themselve One lion is rarely known to attack another, neither will tiger devour one of his kind. Yes, even the infernal spirit the first authors of all discord, are united in a common pu pose—the perversion of mankind. Man alone, for whor peace is most fitting, lives at enmity with his fellow men an indulges in implacable hatred. All animals are born wit weapons for combat. The bull has horns; the boar has tusk 292, he bird has.a beak and claws; the bee has a sting, and even he tiny fly or other insect has power to bite. But man, ‘estined to live at peace with his fellow creatures, comes to the world naked and unarmed. Reflect, then, how conrary to your rightful nature it is to seek to be revenged ‘oon one of your kind, to return evil for evil, particularly sy making use of weapons which nature has denied you. In the second place, a thirst for vengeance is a vice which nefits only savage beasts. You belie your origin, you disbrace your descent, when you indulge in ungovernable jage, worthy only of a wild animal. AElian tells of a lion jhat had been wounded by an African in a mountain defile. A year after, when this man passed the same way in the suite of King Juba, the lion, recognizing him, rushed among he royal guards, and, before he could be restrained, fell pon his enemy and tore him to pieces. Such is the model of jhe angry, vindictive man. Instead of calming his fierce rage y the power of reason, that noble gift which he shares with he angels, he abandons himself to the blind impulse of passions which he possesses in common with the brutes. If it be hard to subdue your anger, excited by an injury rom one of your fellow creatures, consider how much more od has borne from you and how much He has endured for ou. Were you not His enemy when He shed the last drop of is Blood for you? And behold with what sweetness and patience He bears with your daily offenses against Him, in with what mercy and tenderness He receives you when ou return to Him.

If anger urges that your enemy does not deserve forgiveness, ask yourself how far you have merited God’s pardon.

ill you have God exercise only mercy toward you, when you pursue your neighbor with implacable hatred? And if it be true that your enemy does not deserve pardon from you, it will be equally true that you do not deserve pardon from God. Remember that the pardon which man has not merited for himself, Christ has superabundantly merited for him. For love of Him, therefore, forgive all who have of- | fended you.

Be assured, moreover, that as long as hatred predominates in your heart you can make no offering which will be | acceptable to God, who has said: “If thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there thou remember that thy brother hath anything against thee, leave there thy offering before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift.” (Matt. 5:23-24). Hence you can realize how grievous is the sin of enmity among men, since it causes an enmity between God and us, and destroys the merit of all our good works. “We gain no merit from good works,” says St. Gregory, “if we have not learned to endure injuries with patience.”’ (Moral. 21:16).

Consider also that the fellow creature whom you hate is either a just man or a sinner. If a just man, it is certainly a great misfortune to be the declared enemy of a friend of God. If a sinner, it is no less deplorable that you should undertake to punish the malice of another by plunging your own soul into sin. And if your neighbor in his turn seeks vengeance for the injury you inflict upon him, where will your enmities end? Will there be any peace on the earth?

The Apostle teaches us a more noble revenge when he tells us “not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil by good” (Rom. 12:21)—that is, to triumph by our virtues over the vices of our brethren. In endeavoring to be revenged upon a fellow creature you are often disappointed and vanquished by anger itself. But if you overcome your passion, you gain a more glorious victory than he who conquers a city. Our noblest triumph is won by subduing ourselves, by subjecting our passions to the empire of reason.

Besides these, reflect on the fatal blindness into which this passion leads man. Under the cover of justice or right, how often does it drive him to excesses which cause him a liclong remorse!

The most efficacious, the sovereign remedy against this ‘ce is to pluck from your heart inordinate love of self and £ everything that pertains to you. Otherwise the slightest vord or action directed against you or your interests will love you to anger. The more you are inclined to this vice he more persevering you should be in the practice of paience. Accustom yourself, as far as you can, calmly to face 1e contradictions and disappointments you are likely to en- -ounter, and their effect upon you will thus be greatly iminished.

Make a firm resolution never to speak or act under the in- ‘uence of anger, nor to heed any suggestions, however ee which your heart may urge at such moments.

ever act until your anger has subsided, or until you have once or twice repeated the Our Father or some other prayer. Plutarch tells of a wise man who, on taking leave of 4 monarch, advised him never to speak or act in anger, but .o wait until he had repeated to himself the letters of the alphabet. Learn a lesson from this, and avoid the evil consequences of acting from the impulse of anger.

Though there is no time more unfavorable for action, yet there i is no time in which we feel ourselves more strongly impelled to act than when in anger. This is an additional reason for opposing, with all our strength, the suggestions of this passion. For as a man intoxicated with wine is incapable of acting according to reason, and afterwards repents of what he has done in such a condition, so a man beside himself with passion, intoxicated with anger, is incapable of any action of which he will not repent in his calmer moments. Anger, ea and sensuality are evil counselors. “Wine and women,” says Solomon, “make wise men fall off.” (Ecclus. 19:2). By wine he means not only the liquor which stupefies the intellect, but all violent passion which blinds the judgment. Bear in mind also that you are held responsible for sins committed in such a state.

Another very salutary remedy is to turn your thoughts to other things when excited to anger, and to endeavor to banish from your mind the subject which irritates you; for if you take away the fuel of a fire the flame soon expires. Endeavor also to love him with whom you are forced to be forbearing, for patience which is not accompanied with love, being only exterior, is often changed into hatred. Hence, when the Apostle tells us that charity is patient, he immediately adds that it is kind (Cf. J Cor. 13:4); for true charity loves those whom it patiently endures. Finally, if you have excited the anger of your neighbor, quietly withdraw until his passion has subsided, or at least answer him with mildness, for “‘a mild answer breaketh wrath.” (Prov. 1571):