Untitled - Saints' Books

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INSTR. vii.] Meekness. 325
anger, the remedy is to be silent, and to ask strength
from God not to make a reply. The best remedy,"
says Seneca, is in delay, 1 for should we speak while
we are inflamed with passion, what we say will appear
reasonable, but it will be unjust and sinful. For passion
is a certain veil that covers the eyes of the soul, and
does not permit us to see the unreasonableness of our
reply.
eye disturbed by anger cannot see," says
St. Bernard. 2 Sometimes it
appears to us just, and
even necessary, to repress the boldness of a person who
treats us with insolence: for example, of an inferior
who acts disrespectfully towards us. It would indeed
be right in such circumstances to show moderate dis
pleasure; to be, as the angelic Doctor says, angry ac
cording to right reason. 3 This is conformable to the
words of David: Be ye angry, and sin not? This would
be right
if in such anger there were no fault on our
part; but in this consists the difficulty. To leave one s
self in the hand of anger is a very dangerous thing:
you might as well mount a furious horse that refuses to
obey the bit, and carries you wheresoever he pleases.
5
Hence St. Francis de Sales, in the Devout Life, says
that however just the reason of our anger,
it is
always
expedient to restrain it; and that it is better for you to
have it said that you are never angry than that you are
wisely angry. When, says St. Augustine, 6 anger has
entered the soul, it is difficult to expel
it. Hence he
exhorts us in the beginning to close the gate that anger
may not enter. When a person who is corrected sees
his Superior in a passion, he will derive but little fruit
" 1
Maximum remedium est irae, mora." De Ira, 1. 2, c. 28.
2 "
c. ii.
Turbatus prse ira oculus rectum non videt." De Consid, 1. 2,
3 "
Secundum rectam rationem irasci." 2. 2, q. 158,
a. I.
4
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6 Irascimini, et nolite peccare." Ps. iv. 5.
ch. 6
E. 38, E. &.
Inirod. p. 3, 8.