Rooting Out the Tangled snake-roots of Wrath!

                                          http://www.pxleyes.com/photoshop-contest/15382/entangled-roots.html


Struggling with uncontrollable anger can truly be a battle in all its sense! I have been struggling with this for the past.........umpteen years!! There is a slight (may be a little more than just "slight") improvement in my temperament. But I'm still a long way lagging to reach my goal - "TEMPERANCE"!! I think that is the virtue I'm striving to attain.

And what exactly is this so called "temperance"? Let me google a bit for its defintition.....


The closest defintion to reach my need is : " Temperance is the practice of always controlling your actions, thoughts, or feelings so that you don't eat or drink too much, become angry etc."

In essence , it means restraint , a habitual moderation in the indulgence of passions, and here, in this my context, that passion is "ANGER"!

That sounds good. But how to practice it? I have Steve Covey's lessons on "Pro activity" , and quite a number of books on controlling the dragon named " Anger". And here are some gems from some of my favourite Catholic Saints:


There is no sin or wrong that gives a man a foretaste of hell in this life as anger and impatience.
--Saint Catherine of Sienna


”When we have to reply to anyone who has insulted us, we should be careful to do it always with meekness. A soft answer extinguishes the fire of wrath. If we feel ourselves angry, it is better for us to be silent, because we should speak amiss; when we become tranquil, we shall see that all our words were culpable.”
--Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church


“In the Christian combat, not the striker, as in the Olympic contests, but he who is struck, wins the crown. This is the law in the celestial theatre, where the Angels are the spectators.”
--Saint John Chrysostom


”Be as gentle always as possible; and remember that you will catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a hundred barrels of vinegar. Such is the nature of the human mind; it rebels against severity, but gentleness renders it amenable to everything. A soft word appeases anger, as water extinguishes fire. No soul so ungrateful, but kindness can make it bear fruit. To speak truths sweetly is to throw burning coals, or rather roses, into a person's face. How can anyone be angry with another who fights him with pearls and diamonds?”
--Saint Francis of Sales


Yet, the thing has to be rooted out of my system. There is only one way for that. Perseverence in repeating some of the Power Quotes from the Bible. Word of God is sharp enough to cut deep into the tangled roots of anger that has taken possession in my innermost being, since the moment I was conceived , those roots of ancestral debris and those that I myself have imbibed through all the wounds and struggles I had been through by living ....., unaware of or by ignoring the Redeeming power of my baptized, resurrected self.

So here are just two "Swords", from the Word of God. I am sure repeating it, memorizing it is going to have a fastforwarding effect on my attempts at reaching my goal......!!!

http://www.soulshepherding.org/2012/07/jesus-way-of-dealing-with-anger/

Colossians 3:7-9

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices






James 1:19-21
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Accepted in the Beloved....

http://wallpaper.knowing-jesus.com/ephesians/ephesians-1-6-accepted-in-the-beloved-gray

Ephesians 1:6 is a glorious truth! We are fully, completely accepted by God and He, the Mighty Lord of Hosts, has adopted us as His own children. It is not a human adoption, it is a Blood Adoption!!! We are true children of God in Christ! What more do we need?
So the Scripture Verse,Ephesians 1: 6, in King James version, says:
"To the praise of the glory of His Grace , wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."
If by nature we are a fallen, sinful race, by the shed Blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ we have become cleansed enough to be approved by the Most Holy God.More than just receiving us with blessing, He delights in us !!!

Zephaniah 3: 17 says, " The Lord your God is with you; His Power gives you victory. The Lord will take delight in you, and in His love He will give you new life. He will sing and be joyful over you."

Psalm 147: 11 (NLT) affirms this:
"No, the Lord's delight is in those who fear Him,
those who put their hope in His unfailing Love."


http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/2012/08/the-weekend-brew-the-apple-of-his-eye.html

He found him in a desert land, And in the waste howling wilderness; He compassed him about, he cared for him, He kept him as the apple of his eye.Deuteronomy 32:10

What a mighty God we have! Aren't we the apple of His eye?

"This is what the Lord of Armies says : Afterwards, the Glory sent me to the nations who looted you. Whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye." Zephaniah 2:8.

So let us pray to Him, with the Psalmist,
"Keep me as the apple of Your Eye; hide me in the shadow of Your Wings..." - psalm 17:8.


So hereby do I renounce the spirit of Rejection with all its digusting forms, fear of rejection, inherited rejection , self rejection, perceived rejection.....! I send them to the feet of of JESUS, my Crucified Master, who has made me His Beloved by dying on the Cross;and by the Grace of His Resurrection, I am no more a wormy rejected being,. Nay, I am a New Creation ; the past is gone. I close every door against the spirit of rejection in the Mighty Name of Jesus. The evil spirit of rejection does not have any legal rights over me any more. Jesus has erased all its legal claims by His Precious Blood.

Jesus, I declare today that You alone are my Master.
I fight the spirit of rejection with these Bible verses ( Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit Hebrews 4:12):
Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 John 4:9-11 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,


Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

New Life in Christ

http://www.livenourished.net/first-of-all-10/

Two Scripture verses give us a clear picture on how to live our New Life in Christ, the Life of Grace. First  of course is Colossians 3: 12 -17 . It introduces us to the programme, "New Life in Christ". It tells us of what  we are to discard, and what we have to put on. For that, we need to mind the things that are above, to think of heavenly things only, and to discard the earthy stuff. We must follow this pattern  because we have been raised with Christ and thus are sharing in His Resurrected life. So we have got to aim for Eternal Riches which are above!  As far as the world is concerned, we are "dead" , and our "New Life" is hidden with Christ ! 

So here it goes, the list of things to be discarded, and what to put on Colossians 3: 12 -17.

Things to be discarded:

A. of the flesh

1. Immorality

2. Impurity

3. Passion

4. Evil Desire

5. Covetuousness (greed) ..., which (ahem!!!) is nothing else but "Idolatry! 

B. Of the mouth

1. anger

2.wrath

3.Malice

4.Slander

5. Foul Talk.

Things to Put On:

1. Compassion

2. Kindness

3. Lowliness ( Humility)

5 . Meekness

6. Patience

7.Forbearance 

8. forgiveness

Above all these things, put on "Love"!!

http://www.knowhislove.com/?p=4016

The next Scripture is Ephesians 4: 17 -19.

17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19 They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

Here is the amplified version:

17 So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.

18 Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].

19 In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].

1 Thessalonianns 5: 23 - Get Integrated into God's Truth

                             http://foundationsofmyfaith.blogspot.in/2011/07/1-thessalonians-523.html

God's Word has the Power to reintegrate our fragmented selves. God's Word is sharper than any two edged sword, can pierce into the division of soul and spirit, so says Hebrews 4:12. Thus it discerns the thoughts and intentions of our hearts ....!
1 Thessalonians 5:23 says that God makes us whole. Our being should not be a kingdom divided within itself. We need to be kept sound , and the sanctifying Word of God shall make us whole, integrated beings.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come (2Corinthians 5:17).
Yes the Power of the Word of God can transform us. Praise the Lord!
1 Thessalonians 5:23Revised Standard Version (RSV)
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.24 He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
The Message (MSG)
1Thes. 23-24 May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Amplified Bible (AMP)
23 And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound andcomplete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).24 Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

Lord make Haste to help me

In his general audience of 4 April, 2001, Pope John Paul II reflects the fact that the Holy Spirit prays through the Psalms. He says, " ... in singing the Psalms, the Christian feels a sort of harmony between the Spirit present in the Scriptures and the Spirit who dwells within him through the grace of Baptism. More than praying in his own words, he echoes those 'sighs too deep for words' mentioned by St. Paul (cf. Rom 8:26) , with which the Lord's Spirit urges believers to join in Jesus' characteristic invocation: 'Abba Father!' (Rom 8: 15; Gal 4:6)."The Pope continues to remind us that the ancient monks were so convinced  of this truth that they expressed their conviction (that their faith would enable the verses in the Psalms would release a "special energy of the Holy Spirit ") in their use of the Psalms known as "ejaculatory prayer" - from the latin word ' iaculum , that is "a dart ". It indicated that concise phrases from the Psalms which they could  "let fly" almost like flaming arrows against temptations. Then JPII mentions how John Cassian ( fifth/sixth century) recalls how the monks had discovered the extraordinary efficacy of the short incipit  of Psalm 69 [sic. ps. 70] : " God, come to my assistance,; Lord make haste to help me", ' which from that time on became the gate of entry to the Liturgy of Hours.' ( Incipit is a Latin word meaning "It begins". The incipit of a Psalm means its opening line.) Now let us pray the Rosary of the Holy Name with this in mind. Think of the efficacy of the Prayer. The Spirit energy that will emanate from invoking the Holy name with the incipit of Psalm 70!! Chaplet of the Holy Name The Chaplet of the Holy Name is prayed on a 33 bead chaplet (3 decades of 1 large bead followed by ten small beads). 33-bead "rosaries" or 33-knot "chotki" of the Eastern tradition can be used for this devotion. To pray the Chaplet of the Holy Name: Make an Act of Contrition (i.e., pray this prayer earnestly): O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen. And pray: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me. First Decade: On the first large bead:  Lord, Thou hast said: "Ask and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you," I seek, I knock, I ask this favor [name your intention]. On each of the first group of ten small beads: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me. Second Decade: On the second large bead: "Amen, I say unto you, if ye ask the Father anything in My Name it shall be given unto you." It is of the Father and in Thy Name, Lord, I ask this favor. On each of the second group of 10 small beads: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me. Third Decade: On the third large bead: Lord, Thou hast said: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Word shall not pass away," Thou wilt grant me this favor because Thou hast said it and Thy word is true. On each of the third group of 10 small beads: Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me.

Novena to the Holy Name

Say once a day for 9 days

O Merciful Jesus, Who didst in Thy early infancy commence Thy office of Savior by shedding Thy Precious Blood, and assuming for us that Name which is above all names; we thank Thee for such early proofs of Thine infinite love. We venerate Thy sacred Name, in union with the profound respect of the Angel who first announced it to the earth, and unite our affections to the sentiments of tender devotion which the adorable name of Jesus has in all ages enkindled in the hearts of Thy Saints. 

Animated with a firm faith in Thy unerring word, and penetrated with confidence in Thy mercy, we now most humbly remind Thee of the promise Thou hast made, that where two or three should assemble in Thy Name, Thou Thyself wouldst be in the midst of them. Come, then, into the midst of us, most amiable Jesus, for it is in Thy sacred Name we are here assembled; come into our hearts, that we may be governed by Thy holy spirit; mercifully grant us, through that adorable Name, which is the joy of Heaven, the terror of Hell, the consolation of the afflicted, and the solid ground of our unlimited confidence, all the petitions we make in this novena. 

Oh! blessed Mother of our Redeemer! Who didst participate so sensibly in the sufferings of thy dear Son when He shed His Sacred Blood and assumed for us the Name of Jesus, obtain for us, through that adorable Name, the favors we petition in this novena. 

Beg also, that the most ardent love may imprint on our hearts that sacred Name, that it may be always in our minds and frequently on our lips; that it may be our defense and our refuge in the temptations and trials of life, and our consolation and support in the hour of death. Amen.

January, Month of Holy Name of Jesus

January , according to Catholic tradition is the month dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. There are many ways we can honour the Holy name of Jesus. First and foremost is the Jesus Prayer : 

"Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

 We can repeat this short prayer so many times all through our days and even at night.Another such short prayer is the Invocation of the Holy name of Jesus:

Blessed be the Most Holy Name of Jesus without end!

Prayer of Petition in the Holy Name of Jesus

O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.

O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. Amen.

Yet another  prayer is the Litany of the Holy name.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, splendor of the Father, have mercy on us.
Jesus, brightness of eternal light, have mercy on us.
Jesus, King of glory, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Sun of Justice, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.
Jesus most amiable, have mercy on us.
Jesus most admirable, have mercy on us.
Jesus, mighty God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, father of the world to come, have mercy on us.
Jesus, angel of the great counsel, have mercy on us.
Jesus most powerful, have mercy on us.
Jesus most patient, have mercy on us.
Jesus meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us.
Jesus, lover of chastity, have mercy on us.
Jesus, lover of us, have mercy on us.
Jesus, God of peace, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Author of life, have mercy on us.
Jesus, example of virtues, have mercy on us.
Jesus, zealous lover of souls, have mercy on us.
Jesus, our God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, our refuge, have mercy on us.
Jesus, father of the poor, have mercy on us.
Jesus, treasure of the faithful, have mercy on us.
Jesus, true light, have mercy on us.
Jesus, good Shepherd, have mercy on us.
Jesus, true light, have mercy on us.
Jesus, eternal wisdom, have mercy on us.
Jesus, infinite goodness, have mercy on us.
Jesus, our way and our life, have mercy on us.
Jesus, joy of Angels, have mercy on us.
Jesus, King of patriarchs, have mercy on us.
Jesus, teacher of the evangelists, have mercy on us.
Jesus, strength of martyrs, have mercy on us.
Jesus, light of the confessors, have mercy on us.
Jesus, purity of virgins, have mercy on us.
Jesus, crown of all saints, have mercy on us.

Be merciful unto us, Jesus, spare us.
Be merciful unto us, Jesus, hear us.
From all evil, Jesus deliver us.
From all sin, Jesus deliver us.
From Your wrath, Jesus deliver us.
From the snares of the devil, Jesus deliver us.
From the spirit of uncleanness, Jesus deliver us.
From everlasting death, Jesus deliver us.
From the neglect of the inspirations, Jesus deliver us.
Through the mystery of Your holy incarnation, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your nativity, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your infancy, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your most divine life, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your labors, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your agony and passion, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your cross and dereliction, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your faintness and weariness, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your death and burial, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your resurrection, Jesus deliver us.

Through Your institution of the most holy Eucharist, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your joys, Jesus deliver us.
Through Your glory, Jesus deliver us.

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Jesus.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus.
Jesus, hear us. Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray. O Lord Christ, who said: "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you;" grant we beseech you to us Your supplicants, the gift of Your most divine love, that we may love You with our whole heart, in all our words and works, and never cease from praising You. O Lord, give us a perpetual fear as well as love of Your holy Name, for you never cease to govern those You found upon the strength of Your love, Who live and reign world without end. Amen.