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Then the herald of the Church commands all the people to give. . .

Then the herald of the Church commands all the people to give the Peace, each one to his companion, in the love of our Lord. First the priests give the Peace in the midst of the sanctuary; and the people also give it in the nave in the same manner. It behooves him that gives the Peace to his brother in the Church too wash his heart from all hatred and anger and lust.

-St. Narsai Harp of the Spirit

 

No matter what provokes it. . .

“No matter what provokes it, anger blinds the soul’s eyes, preventing it from seeing the Sun of Righteousness.”

+ St. John Cassian,  The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 1), “On the Eight Vices: On Anger”

Oppose no man in anything; do not. . .

“Oppose no man in anything; do not quarrel, and do not lie, and do not swear by the name of the Lord your God. Be despised, and do not despise. Be wronged, and do not wrong. It is better for things of the body to perish with the body than for something pertaining to the soul to be hurt. Go to court with no man, but endure to be condemned, being uncondemned.”

+ St. Isaac of Nineveh , The Ascetical Homilies, Homily 17

 

Do not pass through the streets of. . .

“Do not pass through the streets of the hot-tempered and quarrelsome, lest your heart be filled with anger, and the darkness of delusion dominate your soul.”

+ St. Isaac of Nineveh , The Ascetical Homilies, Homily 17

What is perfection in love?. . .

“What is perfection in love? Love your enemies in such a way that you would desire to make them your brothers … For so did He love, Who hanging on the Cross, said ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” (Luke 23:34)

— St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on I John, I.9

It is blasphemy if you. . .

“It is blasphemy if you pray before God while you are full of anger.”
— Ephrem the Syrian

St. Ephrem of Syria: Virtues are formed by prayer. . . .

“Virtues are formed by prayer.

Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy.

Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.”

— St. Ephrem of Syria

St. John Chrysostom: Envy is the mother of murder. . .

Envy is the mother of murder.

Through this Cain slew Abel his brother; through this Esau (would have slain) Jacob, and his brethren Joseph, through this the devil all mankind. Thou indeed now killest not, but thou dost many things worse than murder, desiring that thy brother may act unseemly, laying snares for him on all sides, paralyzing his labors on the side of virtue, grieving that he pleaseth the Master of the world. Yet thou warrest not with thy brother, but with Him whom he serves, Him thou insultest when thou preferest thy glory to His.

And what is in truth worst of all, is that this sin seems to be an unimportant one, while in fact it is more grievous than any other; for though thou showest mercy and watchest and fastest, thou art more accursed than any if thou enviest thy brother. As is clear from this circumstance also. A man of the Corinthians was once guilty of adultery, yet he was charged with his sin and soon restored to righteousness; Cain envied Abel; but he was not healed, and although God Himself continually charmed the wound, he became more pained and wave-tossed, and was hurried on to murder.

Thus this passion is worse than that other, and doth not easily permit itself to be cured except we give heed. Let us then by all means tear it up by the roots, considering this, that as we offend God when we waste with envy at other men’s blessings, so when we rejoice with them we are well pleasing to Him, and render ourselves partakers of the good things laid up for the righteous. Therefore Paul exhorteth us to “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” ( Rom. xii. 15 ), that on either hand we may reap great profit.