November 24

Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Be ye angry, and sin not. Ephesians 4:26.

ALTHOUGH ye be angry, which indeed may be the case without offence—for what good man is not angry at successful wickedness?—yet let your righteous indignation be without sin; and especially let no resentment ever find a lodging in your bosom. Take care that you never sleep but in meekness and peace with all the world; for Satan knows full well that God forgives you not unless you forgive, and any feeling of unkindness gives an opening to him which he will be sure to increase. It is better to deny entrance to just and reasonable anger than to admit it, be it ever so little, because being once admitted it is with difficulty driven out again; for it enters as a little twig, and in no time it grows and becomes a beam. So if anger can but once gain the night of us, if the sun go down upon our wrath, which the Apostle forbids, it turns into hatred, from which we have scarcely any means of ridding ourselves; for it nourishes itself under a thousand false pretexts, since no angry man ever thought his anger unjust. The prayer which is made against present and pressing danger must be performed calmly and quietly. As soon as you perceive that you have been guilty of an act of anger, repair the fault immediately by an act of meekness towards the same person against whom you were angry.

Seek the wisdom from above, Pure, peaceful, gentle, fervent love; Let love Divine thy bosom sway.