From St. Thomas' Treatise on the Commandments, 5th Commandment
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I am posting so that we may all understand and have the ability to distinguish between holy anger, and sinful anger.
As I am sure we can all observe, there is an excess in the latter, and a deficiency in the former both in our society, and among traditional Catholics.
............There are five ways in which we ought to be on our guard against anger.(1.) Provocation. We must take care not to be easily provoked. St. James says (i. 19, 20), 'Let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God.' There are two reasons for these words; that is, 1. Sin, and 2. Slavery. 1. Sin. Anger is a sin, therefore we are punished for it by God. Here, however, we must inquire whether all anger is contrary to virtue. As to this, philosophers have held two opinions.The Stoics said that no passion touches a wise man. Nay more, they taught that true virtue is to be found in tranquillity of mind.On the other hand, the Peripatetics said that a wise man may rightly be angry, but with moderation. This is the truer opinion, and its truth is evident in two ways; a, by authority, and, b, by reason.a. By authority. In the Gospel we find such passions* attributed to our Lord; and we know that in Him was the fontal fulness of wisdom.b. By reason. If all passions were contrary to virtue, there would be some powers of the soul which would be useless; nay, further, which would be actually hurtful to man, because they could not be developed in any fitting acts. Thus the irascible faculties and the concupiscible(*Suarez teaches that there were in our Lord affections which are called passions in us; but that He did not have them with the imperfections which are found in us, and which are contrary to a perfect state of holiness. Further, they are simply called passions, as it seems, by St. Thomas and St. Cyril; as also by St. Ambrose, St. John of Damascus, and the 6th Synod. This without any doubt is true, and we may safely speak thus among those who understand. But yet, because the word is often taken in a bad sense, to signify something inordinate and unbridled, St. Jerome prefers the word 'propassions.' Suarez adds: 'This way of speaking commends itself to us because of the great reverence due to Christ.') (Suarez, Disp. xxxiv. in 3. St. Thomæ, Sect. i. 5).faculties would have been given to man uselessly and without any purpose. We must conclude, therefore, that anger sometimes is a sin and sometimes is not. To understand this we must bear in mind that anger may be looked at in three ways.(a.) In the reason. Anger may be wholly according to the judgment of reason, without any disturbance of the mind; that, however, is not rightly called anger, but judgment. In this way, God Himself, punishing the wicked, is said to be angry. The prophet Micheas says (vii. 9), 'I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He judge my cause and execute judgment for me. He will bring me forth into the light; I will behold His justice.'Next, anger may be taken as a passion existing in the sensitive appetite. But, looked at thus, anger is (b.) sometimes according to reason and (c.) sometimes not. (These two cases therefore make up the three just mentioned.)(b.) In the sensitive appetite, reasonably. Anger, in the sensitive appetite, may be ordered by reason and kept within the bounds of reason. Thus a man may be angry when he ought to be, and so much as he ought to be, and with whom he ought to be, and so on. Then it is an act of virtue, and is called the anger of zeal. Hence the Philosopher says that meekness is not the being without anger, under any circuмstances whatever. When we are justly and rightly angry it is not a sin.(c.) In the sensitive appetite, unreasonably. Anger in the sensitive appetite may throw off all restraints of reason and right judgment. That is always a sin; sometimes venial, sometimes mortal. The distinction has to be sought from that which leads us to anger, for that motive may be a mortal sin. Now a sin is mortal in two ways, either in its own nature or from the circuмstances. But murder seems to be an act of mortal sin in its own nature, because it goes right against the command of God. Therefore consent to murder is a mortal sin in its own nature; for if the act be mortal sin, the consent to the act is mortal sin also. Sometimes, however, a sin may be mortal in its own nature, and yet the movement in the soul towards it may not be a mortal sin, inasmuch as it is without full consent. So you may be tempted by wrong desire to a sin of impurity, and yet keep from mortal sin by not giving consent. The same thing also must be said with regard to anger. There comes, for instance, a movement of soul to avenge an injury that has been done, for this properly is anger. If the movement be of such a nature that reason is utterly put aside, the sin is mortal. If reason be not perverted to full consent, the sin is venial. But if the movement be not in its own nature a mortal sin, then, though consent be given, the sin is not mortal. When, then, our Lord says, 'Whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment,' we must understand Him to speak of a movement tending to great injury, that movement being a mortal sin, because there is consent enough. Scripture, therefore, says (Eccles. xii. 14), 'All things that are done God will bring to judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.'2. Slavery. The second reason why we should be slow to anger is because every one loves freedom and hates slavery. For an angry man is not master of himself; as it is said (Prov. xxvii. 3, 4), 'A stone is heavy and sand weighty; but the anger of a fool is heavier than them both. Anger hath no mercy, nor hath fury, when it breaketh forth; and who can bear the fury of one provoked?"(2.) Continuance in anger. We should guard against continuing in anger. The Psalmist says (iv. 5), 'Be ye angry and sin not; and St. Paul (Eph. iv. 26), 'Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your anger.' Our Lord gives the reason for this in the Gospel (St. Matt. v. 25, 26), 'Be at agreement with thy adversary betimes while thou art in the way with him, lest perhaps the adversary deliver thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Amen, I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing.'(3.) Growth of anger. We should guard against the growth of anger. This point has to be considered in three ways, that is, with regard to our hearts and lips and works. 1. As to the heart. Anger growing in the heart comes to hatred; for there is a difference between anger and hatred. Anger is sudden, but hatred is lasting. Now hatred is a mortal sin; as St. John says (1 Ep. iii. 15), 'Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.' The reason of this is that he not only slays another, but slays himself also, by stripping himself of charity. St. Augustin says in his rule, 'Have no quarrels among yourselves, or at any rate end them as soon as you can, lest anger should grow into hatred, making a beam out of a mote, and filling the soul with murderous thoughts.' It is said (Prov. xv. 18), 'A passionate man stirreth up strifes. There are also the words of Jacob (Gen. xlix. 7), 'Cursed be their fury, because it was stubborn; and their wrath, because it was cruel.'(4.) 2. As to words. We must guard against the growth of anger in word. Holy Scripture says (Prov. xii. 16), 'A fool immediately showeth his anger.' He does this in two ways; a. by revengeful upbraiding; and, b. by speaking proudly.
a. As to the one, our Lord says (St. Matt. v. 22), 'Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire.'
b. As to the other, He says, in the same place, Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council.' Again, it is said (Prov. xv. 1), 'A mild answer breaketh wrath; but a harsh word stirreth up fury.'(5.) 3. As to deeds. We must guard against the growth of anger in deeds. In all our works two things must be striven for carefully; a. to do justice, and, b. to love mercy. But anger hinders us in both. St. James says (i. 20), 'The anger of man worketh not the justice of God.' For even though he have the will, he has not the power. A certain wise man therefore said to one who had offended him, 'I would punish you if I were not angry.' As was said before, 'Anger hath no mercy, nor fury when it breaketh forth.' Again, it is said (Gen. xlix. 6), 'In their fury they slew a man.'For these reasons our Lord teaches us not only to keep from murder, but even from anger. A good physician takes away the evil which is seen, but he takes away the root of the weakness as well, that it may not spring up again. Jesus therefore wills us to keep from the very beginnings of sin; and so from anger, which is the beginning of murder.
Topic: Anger — St. Thomas Aquinas (Read 19 times)