WHEN THE GENTLE ME EXPLODES
“Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” – Matthew 5:22
In
my family, expressing one’s anger is not an ordinary thing. We were
raised up in a gentle environment. So it’s no wonder that we all grew up
soft-spoken.
But
anger is a human emotion that visits us now and then. I had (and still
have) my own share, and like bombs they explode when I try to keep it to
myself for long.
Once,
I had a difficult group mate in a class project. I was supposed to be
the leader and had to facilitate the completion of the project. But her
behavior was not helping the group — she’d come late or not at all to
our meetings, and when she did, she’d question everything.
It
came to the point that I could no longer contain my anger and I
exploded. She was shocked, as was the rest of the group. I, too, was
shocked that I could be that angry.
It
was a most excruciating weekend for me. I couldn’t eat and sleep well.
But thank God, at that time I had friends who helped me process my
feelings. And thank God, too, we were in a retreat setting that weekend
and I had time to confess it. Most of all, I was able to say, “Peace!”
to the object of my anger. Tess V. Atienza (svp_tvatienza@yahoo.com)
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REFLECTION:
How do you handle your anger?
Lord, teach me how to handle the negative emotions in my life. Grant me patience, gentleness and compassion.
St. Albert Chmielowski, pray for us.
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