Dealing with anger
Catholic Solutions for Anger
11 16 , 22:19 Filed in: Solutions
“Be angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.” - Eph. 4:26. Is it so wrong to be angry? Can we not be righteously angry when we are seemingly surrounded by incomprehensible wickedness? Well, let's study Ephesians 4:26 for a moment, the Haydock Commentary reads,
Ver. 26. Be angry, and sin not, as it is said Psalm iv. 5. Anger, as a passion of the mind, may proceed from a good motive and be guided by reason; as our Saviour, Christ, (Mark iii. 5.) is said to have looked about at the Jews with anger, i.e. with a zeal against their blindness and malice. --- Let not the sun go down upon your anger. If moved to anger, return without delay to a calmness of mind and temper. (Witham) --- Be angry when reason or necessity compels you; but even then, so restrain your anger that you neither offend God nor scandalize your neighbour. Moreover, lay it aside as soon as you are able, so that the sun go not down upon your anger. (Jansenius)
Notice that the early Church Fathers, as well as Christ Himself, understood that there is a place for anger, even in a righteous setting. This 'righteous anger' often comes from zeal or profound love and obedience for the faith that when the faith is trod upon swells great anger for the zealous one. But this anger is not to linger nor is it to swell so as to offend God or neighbor (become a sin) as unbridled anger does give place to the demonic influence and possible infiltration. But what if we are in that very temptation of anger that would offend God and neighbor? What shall we do to overcome? Read More...