Reflecting on anger and how one should respond

 I've been reflecting on anger this week during my morning prayer time. It's one of the seven  deadly sins. But anger is also a virtue and St. Thomas Aquinas rebukes the soul who remains passive against injustice and never becomes angry. Righteous anger is a virtue that calls us to redress injustice. Righteoous anger moved me to spend most of my adult life defending the unborn and innocent individuals like Terri Schiavo and Hugh Finn considered vegetables by family members who put them to death by dehydration. There is much going on today that should arouse our righteous anger. The question we should all ask ourselves is how does God call us to respond?

The two images that came to me this week seemed to offer me the answer. The first image showed me Mary at the foot of the cross. What could be more unjust than the crucifixion of Christ, the creature committing deicide against the Savior of the world? He gave us everything! His love for us compelled Him to come as a helpless infant. He didn't come into the world a full grown man in the robes of a king. As St. Alphonsus tells us, that might inspire fear. No, He came as an innocent, helpless little baby born in poverty. His first cross was the wood of the manger on a cold winter's night.

And how did Christ respond to the injustice of false accusations, torture and execution in such a brutal way? "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing." No anger, no recriminations. Those were left to the bad thief. Just prayers for mercy on those who mocked Him, spit at Him, and nailed Him to a cross.

How did His mother respond? She watched at the foot of the cross, reflecting a silent echo of Her Son's plea for mercy on His murderers. She didn't turn on the mob and condemn them for what they were doing. Her sorrowful presence witnessed the final chapter winning the salvation of mankind. Later on Pentecost the apostles would challenge the crowd with their actions and many would repent. But that day on Calvary hill, there were tears of sorrow not shouts of anger.

Then, last Sunday, the second image came. The gospel told the story of the unjust steward. Forgiven the enormous debt by his compassionate master, he goes out and "throttles" his fellow servant who owes him a minescule fraction of what he owed to the merciful master.

What a rebuke to my anger, even my righteous anger, over the unjust actions of others. I have been forgiven so much by the Master. How can I possibly nurse anger against anyone even when their actions against me were unjust and crues. This is where the separation of the deeds and the persons who commit them call for reflection and judgment. Yes, anger against the deeds is natural and just. But how do I respond? By nursing a grudge? How did Jesus and Mary respond? Compassion for sinners who "know not what they do."

Well, that's easy to conclude, not so easy to do. And so, dear readers, I beg you to pray for me that I never succumb to unrighteous anger and that, even when my anger is righteous, I respond as Christ and Mary did, with compassion and prayers for those who persecute me and judge me harshly. Life is too short to spend it nursing anger and bitterness. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the land. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

May Jesus Christ be praised!