The Human Condition

Ioannes

"Nobody is condemned for not catching a lion, but one who will not govern anger is ridiculous to everyone. So one who does not prevail over his own passion is led to condemnation, while one who cannot prevail over wild beasts does not appear to have done anything worthy of blame." St. Basil the Great

I have once again managed to offend everyone here, for that I sincerely apologize. Please pray for me in this time of need that God may restore me and forgive me my sins. Any advice, criticism, or anything else is welcomed.

Joshuaa

Dear Ioannes,

            I for one aren't offended by your posts as I know you have difficulties with accepting others points of view sometimes and that I think that you do get frustrated with others not accepting your own.

        I once had a friend who was bi-polar and he said to me he was ego-centric. The way I took that was, firstly what has he got confidence in so strongly, in his life, that makes him so proud that he wouldn't listen to my arguement  in the way I was telling it? I was always feeling he was been smart and a little bit intolerant, but been me, it didn't matter so much I always listened no matter what. The point being that I made him my friend so I guess I had a duty to protect him, even from himself. By protecting him, I mean forgiving him so he could get past the problem.

        I try to be humble because humble people make good listeners unlike the proud whose confidence in what they're proud of in, is sometimes false in it's value.

            Yes Ioannes, I pray for you, That GOD's Love for you is never ceasing, and that you always find strength in him, and that his mercy is light on you when or if he teaches you to be humble thus tolerant.

                  GOD bless you.

dzheremi

A brother asked him (Abba Isidore), 'Why are the demons so
frightened of you?' The old man said to him, 'Because I have
practised asceticism the day I became a monk, and not
allowed anger to reach my lips.'

(From Benedicta Ward's translation of the sayings of the Desert Fathers, 1975)

The quote that comes immediately after this one indicates that Abba Isidore still felt impulses towards anger but had not consented to them in 40 years. It is a matter for some deep reflection that such a holy man would still struggle with anger in his daily life even forty years after taking his vows, and even deeper reflection that he had in that time not give into that impulse. What a model! And you, Ioannes, have taken the good step of recognizing the harmfulness of anger and asking for forgiveness. I can't imagine criticizing you for being human, but I will say I am edified by your example and hope to remember it when I find myself in anger. Thank you.