About what to do with the anger we experience
Today’s Gospel is from the Mass for Thursday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1. The reading comes from what is commonly known as ‘The Sermon on the Mount,’ which is a collection of Jesus’ teachings about living in God’s kingdom.
Jesus said, “Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.
“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.
“This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.
“Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.” (Matthew 5:20-26 — New Century Version)
Before you commence the enquiry, you might like to reflect on what the Council Fathers teach about God’s communication with people through the scriptures:
… in sacred Scripture, without prejudice to God’s truth and holiness, the marvellous “condescension” of eternal wisdom is plain to be seen “that we may come to know the ineffable loving-kindness of God and see for ourselves how far he has gone in adapting his language with thoughtful concern for our nature. Indeed the words of God, expressed in the words of men, are in every way like human language, just as the Word of the eternal Father, when he took on himself the flesh of human weakness, became like men (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, 13).
SEE
Examine the three scenarios Jesus uses to teach his followers about how to direct their experiences of anger appropriately.
Who is angry In each “story”? What does Jesus reveal about the causes of their anger?
What does Jesus tell us about the consequences of anger not being directed appropriately?
JUDGE
How well do Jesus’ stories about anger fit with your experiences of anger?
What does Jesus teach you about what God intends about the anger we experience in our lives?
Ideally, what should be happening in people’s lives when anger is experienced?
ACT
What is there about your experiences of anger that you want to change?
What action can you take over the next week to bring about the change you want to make to your experiences of anger?
Who can you involve in your action and how can they help to bring about the change you desire?
Author: Pat Branson
