Readings: Galatians 5:18-25; Luke 11:42-46
Dante called St. Luke’s the “Gospel of mercy.” However, were I one of the Pharisees or Scribes in today’s Gospel, I probably wouldn’t register “mercy” as Jesus levelled with me.
It can be a relief to see Jesus express his anger, though that’s no justification for my own outbursts. What the words of the Gospel can’t tell me is how Jesus sounded in this interchange, which can make all the difference. Even without that, his anger sets a high standard that mine may never equal, that today’s public figures, so uncensored in their self-expression, certainly do not match.
For one, Jesus is not defensive. He’s not protecting his image or protesting his personal hurts. Then he sticks to the facts and not unfounded conclusions born of his insecurities: his statements are narrowly descriptive and not imaginatively elaborated. He’s speaking up not for himself but for the voiceless. Finally, what he says could awaken the conscience of those he criticizes: his anger is a call to their conversion. What he says is really for their own good.
I don’t think my anger lives up to any of that. I’ll try to curtail my toxic reactions, but it’s likely that I’ll lose my temper again. But I can always go back to this text from St. Luke’s Gospel to evaluate and correct what has just happened.
Peggy says
How does it go? Thanks, I needed that! Thanks for sharing your own journey, Fr. James.
Ronald Dombroski says
It does me good to hear that one of the good, holy monks continues to lose his temper!
One of the good, somewhat holy retreatants also loses his temper regularly…. More than he would like.
I thought my Centeeing Prayer would help me with this problem,
Maybe it does – as Lawrence Freeman of Christian Meditation once said about a regular meditator who still got angry…. imagine what I would be like if I stopped my meditating!…..
Tim McNelis says
I have found in reading scripture daily there is an answer to most every difficult situation or emotions in the Bible. I have printed out passages to help manage my anxiety and worry, it really helps.