Remedies for Anger

So the athlete of Christ who competes by the rules ought to root out the feeling of wrath completely. And this will be a sure remedy for the disease. First, we should make up our minds that we ought never to be angry at all, whether for good reasons or bad; for we know that we will at once lose the light of discernment, the security of good counsel, our very uprightness, and the balanced character of righteousness, if the chief light of our heart has been darkened by its shadows. Next, we should know that the purity of our soul will soon be clouded, and that it cannot possibly be made a temple for the Holy Spirit while the spirit of anger lives in us. Lastly, we should consider that we ought never to pray, or pour out our prayer to God, while we are angry. [a]

And above all, keeping before our eyes how uncertain the human condition is, we should realize daily that we are soon to depart from the body, and that our self-control and chastity, our renunciation of all our possessions, our contempt of wealth, and our efforts in fasting and night vigils will not help us at all, if eternal punishments are awarded us by the judge of the world for anger and hatred alone.