1. Do not
let the sun go down on the anger of your brother (Eph. 4:26); that is, let no
one be angry and enraged against his brother until the setting of the sun. (Elder Ephraim of Philotheou Mount Athos,
"Counsels from the Holy Mountain")
2. A brother
asked Abba Isidore the priest, "Why are the demons so frightened of
you?" The old man said to him, "Because, ever since the day I began
practicing ascesis, I have striven to prevent anger from reaching my lips. (The Desert Fathers)
3. A
characteristic of those who are still progressing in blessed mourning is
temperance and silence of the lips; and of those who have made progress –
freedom from anger and patient endurance of injuries; and of the perfect –
humility, thirst for dishonors, voluntary craving for involuntary afflictions,
non- condemnation of sinners, compassion even beyond one’s strength. The first
are acceptable, the second laudable; but blessed are those who hunger for hardship
and thirst for dishonor, for they shall be filled with the food whereof there
can be no satiety. (St. John
Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent”)
4. A
wandering mind is made stable by reading, vigil and prayer. Flaming lust is
extinguished by hunger, labor and solitude. Stirrings of anger are calmed by
psalmody, magnanimity and mercifulness. All this has its effect when used at
its proper time and in due measure. Everything untimely or without proper
measure is short-lived; and short-lived things and more harmful than useful. (Abba Evagrius the Monk)
5. Abba
Ammonas said, "I have spent fourteen years in Scetis asking God night and
day to grant me the victory over anger." Sr. Benedicta Ward, "The
Sayings of the Desert Fathers," (Kalamazoo, Michigan: Cistercian
Publications, 1975), pp. 25-28
6. Abba
Nilus said, "Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absence of
anger." (Abba
Nilus, in "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers")
7. Anger is
by nature designed for waging war with the demons and for struggling with every
kind of sinful pleasure. Therefore angels, arousing spiritual pleasure in us
and giving us to taste its blessedness, incline us to direct our anger against
the demons. But the demons, enticing us towards worldly lusts, make us use
anger to fight with men, which is against nature, so that the mind, thus
stupefied and darkened, should become a traitor to virtues. (Abba Evagrius the Monk)
8. Anger is
tamed and becomes transformed into benevolence only through courage and
mercy... (St.
Gregory of Sinai (Texts on Commandments and Dogmas no. 13))
9. As with
the appearance of light, darkness retreats; so, at the fragrance of humility,
all anger and bitterness vanishes. (St. John
Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent”)
10. Brother:
What is purity of soul?
Old man: Remoteness from anger and from the error of the remembrance of evil things, and
being weaned from the bitter nature, and reconciliation with our enemies, and
peace which is beyond troubling, and simplicity of love which is above this
world; with these things is the inner man cleansed, and he puts on Christ and
is redeemed. (E. A.
Wallis Budge, "The Paradise of the Holy Fathers")
11. Considering
all these things then, and counting the recompense which is given in this case
and remembering that to wipe away sins does not entail much labor and zeal, let
us pardon those who have wronged us. For that which others scarcely accomplish,
I mean the blotting out of their own sins by means of fasting and lamentations,
and prayers, and sackcloth, and ashes, this it is possible for us easily to
effect without sackcloth and ashes and fasting if only we blot out anger from
our heart, and with sincerity forgive those who have wronged us. (St. John
Chrysostom, Homily to those who
have not attended the Assembly)
12. Do not
befoul your intellect by clinging to thoughts filled with anger and sensual
desire. Otherwise you will lose your capacity for pure prayer and fall victim
to the demon of listlessness. (St.
Maximos the Confessor (First Century on Love no. 49))
13. For nothing
is more grievous than wrath and fierce anger. This renders men both puffed up
and servile, by the former making them ridiculous, by the other hateful; and
bringing in opposite vices, pride and flattery, at the same time. But if we
will cut off the greediness of this passion, we shall be both lowly with
exactness, and exalted with safety. For in our bodies too all distempers arise
from excess; and when the elements thereof leave their proper limits, and go on
beyond moderation, then all these countless diseases are generated, and
grievous kinds of death. Somewhat of the same kind one may see take place with
respect to the soul likewise.
(St. John Chrysostom (Homilies on the Gospel
of Matthew))
14. He who
has put a stop to anger has also destroyed remembrance of wrongs; because
childbirth continues only while the father is alive. (St. John Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine
Ascent”)
15. He who is
not indifferent to fame and pleasure, as well as to love of riches that exists
because of them and increases them, cannot cut off occasions for anger. And he
who does not cut these off cannot attain perfect love. (St. Maximos the Confessor (First Century on
Love no. 75))
16. If you
want to pray properly, do not let yourself be upset or you will run in vain. (Abba Nilus)
17. My
children, desire to purify your hearts from envy and from anger with each
other, lest death should overcome you, and you will be counted among the
murderers. For whosoever hates his brother, kills a soul. (Abba Anthony the Great)
18. One must
by every means strive to preserve peace of soul and not be disturbed by
offenses from others; for this one must in every way strive to restrain anger
and by means of attentiveness to keep the mind and heart from improper
feelings. And therefore we must bear offenses from others with equanimity and
accustom ourselves to such a disposition of spirit that these offenses seem to
concern not us, but others. Such a practice can give quietness to the human heart
and make it as dwelling for God Himself. (St.
Seraphim of Sarov, Spiritual Instructions, Little Russian Philokalia, V. I)
19. Prayer is
the flower of gentleness and freedom from anger. (Evagrios
the Solitary)
20. Prayer is
the seed of gentleness and the absence of anger. (Abba
Nilus)
21. Silence
of lips is better and more wonderful than any edifying conversation.Strive to
acquire humility and submissiveness. Never insist that anything should be
according to your will, for this gives birth to anger. Do not judge or humiliate
anyone, for this gives birth to anger. Do not judge or humiliate anyone, for
this exhausts the heart and blinds the mind, and thereon leads to negligence
and makes the heart unfeeling. (St. Barsanuphius and St. John)
22. The first
step toward freedom from anger is to keep the lips silent when the heart is
stirred; the next, to keep thoughts silent when the soul is upset; the last, to
be totally calm when unclean winds are blowing. (St.
John Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent”)
23. When
anyone is disturbed or saddened under the pretext of a good and soul-profiting
matter, and is angered against his neighbor, it is evident that this is not
according to God: for everything that is of God is peaceful and useful and
leads a man to humility and to judging himself. (St.
Feofil the Fool for Christ)
24. When you
pray as you ought, there may come into your mind things about which it seems
right to be angry with your brother. There is absolutely no anger against your
brother which could be justified. If you look, you will find that the question
can be settled quite well without anger. Therefore do your best not to be moved
to anger. ("153
Texts on Prayer", St Nilus of Mt Sinai, "Early Fathers From the
Philokalia")
25. Wrath is
a reminder of hidden hatred, that is to say, remembrance of wrongs. Wrath is a
desire for the injury of the one who has provoked you. Irascibility is the
untimely blazing up of the heart. Bitterness is a movement of displeasure
seated in the soul. Anger is an easily changeable movement of one’s disposition
and disfiguration of soul. (St. John
Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent”)
26. It is
necessary most of all for one who is fasting to curb anger, to accustom himself
to meekness and condescension, to have a contrite heart, to repulse impure
thoughts and desires, to examine his conscience, to put his mind to the test
and to verify what good has been done by us in this or any other week, and
which deficiency we have corrected in ourselves in the present week. This is
true fasting. (St. John
Chrysostom)
Source: http://www.orthodox.net/gleanings/anger.html
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