Our Venerable Father Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra.
Day 29 of the Great Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain these ingredients.
Sixth Hour – Isaiah 37:33-38:6; Vespers – Genesis 13:12-18; Proverbs 14:27-15:4.
Read Proverbs 14:27-15:4
There is a lot of anger in the world. Look at the division in society. Look at the vitriol fired back and forth between political opponents. I hear anger mentioned rather frequently when hearing confessions. Anger is listed as one of the eight evil thoughts. And here, towards the end of this reading, anger and wrath are mentioned.
Consider this quote from Abba Evagrius the Monk:
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.
This insight reveals that anger isn’t always a bad thing. Indeed, it can be directed towards the demons and evil in a healthy way. And modern psychology would suggest that anger can point us towards something that we care about deeply or towards a deep fear that we may not be consciously aware of.
But anger can also lead us to destructiveness. It can lead us to will or even bring about the harm of another person. It can lead us to foment within our hearts bitterness and resentment and rage. An enraged heart will lead us to doing or saying things that will encourage anger in the hearts of others—and the chain of pain continues.
So what is the remedy?
Another desert father would say “Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absence of anger.” Prayer, reading the scriptures, chanting the psalms—these will lead to a blossoming of gentleness and an absence of anger. And as we are working and growing towards this goal, also heed to the words of the Proverbs, and keep guard over the tongue, not giving in to the temptation of a harsh word.