salutary [remedy] has been accustomed to grant; just as He did for S. Paul, who was teacher to the whole world, and who scattered the rays of his teaching everywhere. For when he was being taken to Rome, A a great storm having arisen, and all who were on the ship fearing for their safety, and having no good hope owing to the magnitude of the tempest, he called everyone together and said: "Take heart, sirs; for there will be no loss of any soul among you, except of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying: Do not fear, Paul; for God has granted you all those who sail with you" (Acts 27:22-24). Let us constantly remember this. For nothing benefits us as much as constantly remembering the benefits of God, both those given in common and those given individually. For if, having remembered the benefits of a friend, or having heard a pleasant word or received a kind act, we are warmed, much more, when we see how many dangers we have fallen into, and that God has delivered us from them all, shall we be the more eager regarding virtue. Just as Paul himself, B whose famine and thirst, and nakedness, and shipwrecks, and fears, and plots, and prisons, and stripes, and all other things which the blessed Paul endured for the sake of the preaching, I think there is no need to recount. For each of these was sufficient to shake and break that holy soul violently. But when he says, "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?" (2 Cor. 11:29), this is what most of all provided him with constant and unbearable distress. For if he burned for each one of those who were stumbling, there was no way for this burning to be extinguished from his soul; for those who were stumbling did not cease, and kept providing the fuel for the fire. And as for seeing the infidel Jews, what small respite from distress and pain could he possibly have? "For I used to wish," he says, "to be anathema from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites" (Rom. 9:3). What he says is of this sort: It was more desirable for me to fall into Gehenna than to see the Israelites as infidels. C And he who chose the punishment in Gehenna for the sake of being able to win over all the Jews, it is evident that failing to achieve this, he led a life more grievous than those being punished in Gehenna. To whom it is said, "And My grace is sufficient for you; for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). This means, "It is sufficient for you that you raise the dead, that you heal the blind, that you cleanse lepers, that you perform other miracles; do not ask to be preaching also without dangers and without fear and without troubles." But you are in pain and distressed? Do not suppose this is due to my weakness, that many are those who plot against you, and beat you, and drive you, and scourge you; this very thing, in fact, shows my power ("for My power," He says, "is made perfect in weakness"), when, being persecuted, you prevail over those who persecute; when, being driven, you master those who drive; when, being bound, you turn those who bind you. But it is indeed dreadful even to be spoken ill of by anyone; but when he who does this is one of those who have been benefited, and he reproaches and brings up the benefits done to him, then indeed, then the insult becomes unbearable, and brings with it such distress and anger that it could even choke the one insulted. D For he who has suffered ill from some great person has a not small pride [in], the superiority of the one acting; but he who [suffers] from a base and cast-away person has the greater pain, and considers the affliction intolerable. But do not consider this, whether some are mocking us, but whether they do so rightly and justly; and if justly, even if they do not laugh, let us weep; but if unjustly, even if all were laughing, let us call ourselves blessed and mourn them, as being the most wretched of all and no different from the insane—even if nothing is more unbearable to the suffering than speech capable of biting the soul. Say these things to yourselves and to each other each day, whenever you find opportunity. For if he who is about to request something, even if he is about to ask for reasonable things, awaits a suitable time, so that he may approach the one about to grant the request while he is mild and well-disposed, and having taken the alliance of the time, may attain the grace; much more does the one speaking need to seek a suitable time. For thus we ought to be concerned for one another, as for ourselves, and to spare our neighbors, even as God also [spares] us. For no one spares himself as God spares us all, who much more than we ourselves desires that we suffer nothing dreadful; to whom belong glory, power, honor, and worship, now and for the ages of ages. Amen.
Homily XX. Concerning Anger and Fury.
Do you wish to learn what a great evil it is to be angry? Stand by those fighting in the marketplace; for you cannot easily see the ugliness in yourself, [as you are] darkened and drunk, but when you have become cleansed of the passion, then you will better observe your own [state]. For when anger has boiled up around the chest and rises and rages, the mouth breathes fire, the eyes emit fire, the face swells from every side, the hands are extended uncontrollably, and the feet jump and bound ridiculously at those who hold them, and they are no different from the raging, or rather, not even from wild asses, kicking, biting; thus an angry man is not decorous. "But," he says, "the heart swells, and is bitten by the insults." I know that too; for this reason I admire those who hold [it] in check. For if we wish, it is possible to beat back the passion. For why, when rulers insult us, do we not suffer this? Because a counter-fear to the passion stands before us. Why also do servants, when insulted by you with countless things, endure everything in silence? Because they too have the same bond laid upon them. But now, for the sake of human beings, we endure even unbearable things, and say to those who insult us: "So-and-so insulted me, not you"; but in the case of God, shall we not have even this discretion? Let us say also to our own soul: "God is insulting us now, He who commands silence; let us not leap, nor shall God, [be] more dishonored than humans."
When, therefore, someone causes you grief, think on the sins you have committed against God, and that by the forbearance you show toward him, you will render the court of the future Judgment more gentle, when accounts must be rendered: for He says, "Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you" (Luke 6:37). Moreover, consider also this: if ever, having become enraged to brutality, you have mastered yourself, and if ever you have been led astray by passion; then compare both occasions. When did you praise yourself? Was it then, when you were overcome, or when you mastered yourself? Do we not then curse ourselves often, and does not much repentance follow for us, both because of words and deeds? But when we have conquered, we experience pleasure, we boast, as having attained victory. For victory born of anger is not to render equal for equal—this is indeed the ultimate defeat—but to bear it with calmness, if one either suffers or hears evil things. Do not fight against those who urge you to be silent, saying, "I will not let him go away having mocked me"; for he will not be mocking you then, but if you demand vengeance, he will do so like a fool. But when you win, do not seek the testimony of fools, but consider that of the prudent to be sufficient; or rather, look to God, and He will praise you: and he whom He regards ought not seek honor from men. And if someone possesses much money and property, let him use them as a stranger, and one about to leave them shortly, whether he wishes it or not. And if someone be injured by any, let him not be angry perpetually, or rather, not even for a time: "For the sun," he says, "let it not go down upon your wrath" (Eph. 4:26). For this disease has overturned whole houses, dissolved ancient friendships, and stirred up inconsolable tragedies. When, therefore, someone harms you, look not at him, but at the demon shaking this man, and pour out all your anger against him; but have pity on him who is moved by him. For if to lie is the devil's, much more so is to be angry without cause. Indeed, it does not happen that you are angry if there is no one to provoke you; but it is necessary to desire, even if the form that moves to this does not appear. If someone does you an injury, consider the punishment by which he is being punished; and not only will you not conceive anger, but you will shed tears. For no one is exacerbated against one laboring with fever, or against one burning, but one pities and weeps for all such. If, however, you wish to take vengeance, keep silent, and you have dealt him a lethal blow: but if you bite back, you treat him shamefully, and you make it so that the things said are deemed true. For why does a rich man laugh if someone calls him poor? Because he is conscious of no poverty in himself. If, therefore, we laugh at insults, we will give the greatest proof that we are not conscious of the things being said. Has someone insulted you? Beg God that He may quickly be appeased toward him; he is your brother, he is your member. But he insults me greatly, you say. In truth, for this very reason your reward is greater. For this reason especially, one ought to dismiss anger, since the devil has wounded him. Do not, therefore, rebuke him, and yourself be prostrated together with him. As long as you are standing, you can also save him; but if you cast yourself down as well, by inflicting insults in return, who now will raise you up? He who is wounded? But he will not be able to, when he is lying down; or will you, who have fallen together with him? And how, you who do not suffice for yourself, will you reach out a hand to another? The devil wounded him, do not let yourself be wounded also; rather, pull out the dart first. For if we converse among ourselves in this manner, we will quickly all be whole; but if we are armed against each other, there is no need even for the devil for our destruction. Have you been affected by damage first? But it is not a miserable thing to suffer evils, but to do evils. For do not say, "It is nothing evil if I insult someone." It is a great evil because it appears to be none; for things that seem to be nothing are easily despised, and things that are despised are also increased, and things that are increased become incurable. Do you therefore think that you do nothing evil when you accuse a brother? How then do you call him brother? If he is not a brother, how do you say, "Our Father"? For the word "our" has the signification of many persons. For he who has a soul bestial and inhuman cannot call the benevolent God Father; for he does not preserve the signs and marks of that goodness which is in the heavenly Father, but has transformed himself into a bestial appearance, and has fallen from divine nobility. For if someone jumps like a bull, or kicks like an ass, or remembers evils after the manner of a camel, or is gluttonous like a bear, rapacious like a wolf, strikes like a scorpion, is deceitful like a fox, and like a horse maddened by the love of females, neighs at women—how can such a one send up to heaven a voice worthy of a son, and call God his Father? What, therefore, must such a one be called? A beast? But beasts are held by one of these vices: this one, however, has gathered all of them into himself, and by their folly has become more foolish. For even the beasts themselves, though savage by nature, having attained human industry, frequently become tame: this one, however, when he is a man, and changes their natural wildness into gentleness against nature, what excuse will he have, that he leads his own natural gentleness into that which is against nature, [namely,] wildness? And [he] makes an animal, wild by nature, tame; but he renders himself, tame by nature, wild; and makes the lion tame and tractable, but renders his own soul more savage than a lion: he tames the lion and makes him human, but he neglects himself, degenerating from man into lion; to that one he gives things that are beyond [its] nature, but for himself, he does not even acquire things according to nature. But if nothing renders one so like to God as being easy to give pardon to those acting unjustly when one is affected by injury, how great a punishment will they not be worthy of, who after all these things not only do not forgive them, but also beseech God for the vengeance of enemies and intercede against them? And what hope of salvation will they have remaining, if even then, when one ought to beseech Him, they exacerbate Him, assuming the habit of suppliants, yet emitting the voice of a wild beast, and whetting the weapons of the evil one against themselves? For if not even then, when you have need of mercy, do you dismiss anger, but are mindful of it most of all, and this not knowing that you are driving a sword against yourself, when it is necessary for him to be...
A a suppliant in appearance, but emitting the sounds of a beast, and hurling against themselves the darts of the evil one? For if, when you are in need of mercy, you do not even then dismiss your anger, but are very mindful of it, and this while knowing that you are thrusting the sword against yourself—when will you be able to become humane? You have suffered evil, and you wish to avenge yourself on the one who did you evil? Do him well, and you have avenged yourself. For if, on the one hand, you seek retribution, you will be blamed by everyone—both you and him alike; but if you endure, you will be applauded and admired, while he will be accused. And what, to an enemy, could be a greater and more bitter evil than to see his enemy being admired and applauded by all, while he himself is being reviled by all before the eyes of his enemy?
Anger is a beast that easily leaps out; and for this reason we have need of myriad bulwarks and partitions in order to overcome it and hold it in check. It is for this reason that God built this part of us especially as if from certain stones, namely the bones, placing a support for it, so that by never breaking or cutting through, it might easily harm the whole animal. For it is fire, he says, and a great storm; and no other part of the whole body could withstand this violence. Not B so can a lion tear our internal organs as anger, sitting always with iron claws, destroys everything. For it does not ruin the body only, but it corrupts the very health of the soul. When, therefore, someone comes and says to you that so-and-so has insulted you, and continues to speak ill of you to everyone, praise the one who has insulted you in the presence of those who are there; and, even if they are very foolish, they will applaud and admire you, but they will hate him as more savage than any beast, because he caused pain without being wronged, while you, even though having suffered evil, responded with the opposite.
In addition to these things, you will also be able to show as vain all that was said. For he who is bitten provides proof of his empathy with what is being said by suffering pain; but he who has laughed away, by this very fact has freed himself from all suspicion in the presence of those who are there. And if you also desire to avenge yourself on him, this also will follow in abundance, both with God punishing him for what he has said, and before that punishment, your philosophy becoming a blow to him more timely than any other. For nothing is so accustomed to punish those who insult us as for those of us being insulted to laugh at the insults. But when, having been insulted, you insult back, you have been defeated—not by a man, but, which is more shameful, by a base passion, having been moved by anger; C but if you remain silent, you have both won, and easily set up a trophy, and will have a myriad of people crowning you and judging the lie of the slander. For he who contradicts seems to contradict because he is being bitten; but he who is bitten provides a suspicion that he is conscious of the truth of what is being said; but if you laugh, by your laughter you have dissolved the verdict against yourself, and have caused the one who insulted you to suffer more pain from that point on. For he is not so pleased by not being insulted, as he is bitten by not being able to take hold of you. When, therefore, you deprive him of that which he most desires, you have deprived him of everything, having belittled him and shown him to be contemptible. For it does not so much make kings illustrious to overcome enemies, as it does to the one who has done so to overcome anger and wrath; for there the achievement was of weapons and soldiers, but here your trophy is naked; and there you have others who share in the victory, but here you have set up the trophy alone.
When, therefore, someone insults you, bear it nobly; for he has insulted himself, not you. If he strikes your right hand, do not strike back; for he is the one who is being struck—you in the hand, but himself in his anger, and receiving an evil reputation from everyone. But if these things seem difficult to you, consider that, if someone in a frenzy tore your garment, which one would you say suffered evil, you who suffered it, or he who did it? It is clear that it is he. D Then, where your garment is torn, the one who did it has suffered more grievous things than the one who suffered it; but where the heart is torn (for anger does this), will you not consider that he has suffered greater evils than you who have endured nothing at all? If one ought not to return evil for evil, much more so ought one not to return evil for good, and—without any evil having first occurred—return evil. "But so-and-so," he says, "is wicked, and caused me pain, and did me many wrongs." Do you wish to avenge yourself on him? Do not return it; leave him unpunished; be thankful. For this is truly revenge, bringing harm to him and benefit to you; for from this, joy is born. For when we have such a soul, that we avenge no one, but do good to all, whence, tell me, will the sting of grief be able to creep in? For he who is so rejoicing in suffering evil, as to also return good to the one who has done him evil, how will he be able to be pained thereafter? For what, tell me, is the evil you have suffered? Has a disease befallen you? But there is nothing strange there; for our body is mortal and subject to passion. But [is it] a poverty of money? But these things are also acquired and can be lost, and remain here. But [are there] plots and slanders? But it is not we who are wronged in these things, but those who have done them. "For the soul," he says, "that sins, it shall die;" (Ezech. 18: 20); but it was not the one who suffered evil that sinned, but the one who caused the evil.
Let us not, therefore, strive so much, beloved, as to be clean of anger, and to reconcile those who are ill-disposed toward us, knowing that neither prayer, nor almsgiving, nor fasting, nor participation in the mysteries, nor anything else of such things, will be able to stand for us on that day if we bear grudges. So that one would not be wrong in proclaiming this as more grievous than any sin. For nothing does God so hate and turn away from as a man who bears a grudge and retains anger. For how do you wish the Master to be gentle and mild toward you, when you yourself become harsh and unforgiving to your fellow servant? But your fellow servant insulted you? You also insult God many times; and what is the equality between fellow servant and master? And he, perhaps, insulted because he was provoked and wronged, and irritated; but you insult God having not been wronged nor slandered, but while being acted upon with kindness by Him each day; and what apology or pardon shall we have? Consider, therefore, that if God were willing to examine with precision the things done against Him, we would not survive for a single day. "For if you, O Lord, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who shall stand?" (Ps. 129: 3). For Yours is the glory into the ages of ages. Amen.