Holy Spirit Mondays: Anger Kills

A short reflection to help you deepen your relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Read:

"If the Holy Spirit is peace of soul ... as He is in reality, and if anger is disturbance of heart, as it actually is ... then nothing so prevents His presence in us as anger" (St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Step 8: On Freedom from Anger, #14).

Ponder:

Anger is a killer that destroys our relationship with God, self, and others. Here are a few steps we can take to reduce or eliminate the anger we carry.

First, anger comes from a churning, irritated heart. When it flares up, don't automatically say something or act on it right away. Be restrained.

Second, take time to grieve your own sins. While this may sound frustrating, the idea behind it is that the flame of anger will be reduced or extinguished if we realize that we have done some of the same things that anger us about others.

Third, seek humility. Very often the source of our anger is pride. When we seek the approval of others, we become angry when we are not the center of attention. Actively desire to support others.

Fourth, remember that the goal is not merely controlling anger in the moment. Rather, we are called to reach a place where the soul is genuinely unmoved by insult or praise alike.

By taking these actions, each of us can move more deeply inward, which is to say that we are becoming more intimate with the Holy Spirit each day.

Pray:

"Most Holy Spirit, save me from myself and sanctify me."

Ask:

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