xercises
no restraining power over his failing, and by yielding habitually
fosters it and must shoulder the responsibility of every excess. We
incur the burden of God's wrath when, through our fault, negligence or
a positive act of the will, we suffer this passion to steal away our
reason, blind us to the value of our actions, and make us deaf to all
considerations. No motive can justify such ignoble weakness that would
lower us to the level of the madman. He dishonors his Maker who throws
the reins to his animal instincts and allows them to gallop ahead with
him, in a mad career of vengeance and destruction.

Many do not go to this extent of fury, but give vent to their spleen in
a more cool and calculating manner. Their temper, for being less fiery,
is more bitter. They are choleric rather than bellicose. They do not
fly to acts but to desires and well-laid plans of revenge. If the
desire or deed lead to a violation of justice or charity, to scandal or
any notable evil consequence, the sin is clearly mortal; the more so,
if this inward brooding be of long duration, as it betrays a more
deep-seated malice.

Are there any motives capable of justifying these outbursts of passion?
None at all, if our ire has these two features of unreasonableness and
vindictiveness. This is evil. No motive, however good, can justify an
evil end.

If any cause were plausible, it would be a grave injury, malicious and
unjust. But not even this is sufficient, for we are forbidden to return
evil for evil. It may cause us grief and pain, but should not incite us
to anger, hatred and revenge. What poor excuses would therefore be
accidental or slight injuries, just penalties for our wrongdoings and
imaginary grievances! The less excusable is our wrath, the more serious
is our delinquency. Our guilt is double-dyed when the deed and the
cause of the deed are both alike unreasonable.

Yet there is a kind of anger that is righteous. We speak of the wrath
of God, and in God there can be no sin. Christ himself was angry at the
sight of the vendors in the temple. Holy Writ says: Be ye angry and sin
not. But this passion, which is the fruit of zeal, has three features
which make it impossible to confound it with the other. It is always
kept within the bounds of a wise moderation and under the empire of
reason; it knows not the spirit of revenge; and it has behind it the
best of motives, namely, zeal for the glory of God. It is aroused at
the sight