Getting angry/upset/impatient vs. being "saintly"

[HeWillProvide]

Hello,
So I’ve read lots of books on how lots of the saints were just so in control of their emotions, their anger, their frustration, etc… apparently, everyone around them could always sense their joy/peace/trust in God, etc… okay, so how do we “manage” our emotions (no angry outbursts, frustrations, etc.) but still accept the fact that we are human. I mean, didn’t God “give” us different emotions? Are we not supposed to get frustrated, irritated, or offended?

 

[tuscany]

Have you read anything by St. Teresa of Avila? She was pretty fiesty!
She once said this of God, “If this is the way You treat Your friends, it’s no wonder You have so few.”
She also said this of the “hair shirt,” joyless Catholics, “Lord, save me from the sour faced saints”.

Padre Pio used to sometimes yell at people during Confession, and made them get out until they had fixed something to rights, before they could go back to Confession. He would yell at women who came up to him if they did not have their legs covered to mid calf, or if their arms were not covered 3/4 of the way.

These are just a few examples of saints that acted pretty human and with emotion, while still being holy people.

Don’t forget, even Jesus lost His temper!

 

[Edward_H]

Yes and no.

We need to slowly gain custody of our senses. Temperance. God gave us emotions; they are good when they are put to good purposes and when they follow our will, which should correspond to God’s will. They can be trained, and no, this doesn’t lead to auto-maton-ism. Think of the all the saints.

Enthusiasm, animation, sorrow, are natural. But we need to work on the control of our emotions, little by little, in small ways, mainly.

Being able to smile when you don’t feel like it. Holding your tongue, holding a crude joke, a rough comment, a point of biting sarcasm. The will and the intellect need to lead the emotions. Being able to work and to put love and enthusiasm into our work - especially when we don’t feel like it - can be developed and should be developed.

Not easy…a life long work. Working on concrete resolutions and with a daily examined life, help a lot.

 

[benedictgal]

If it’s any comfort to you, Blessed Miguel ro enjoyed smoking cigarrettes. St. John Bosco was frustrated at times with the persecutions he was enduring. St. Peter denied Jesus three times. St. Paul persecuted Christians. St. Augustine had his share of interesting situations. Even St. John the Apostle and his brother St. James wanted to call down fire and brimstone on a town and were rebuked by Jesus.

We must remember that God chooses the weak of the world in order to show His strength. We tend to put saints on a pedestal for all of the wrong reasons. The reason why they are saints is that they relied on God to help them overcome the difficulties that were wrought on us by Original Sin. They allowed God to work through them. Even though many of them had frustrating experiences, not once did they give up. They were open to the graces that God poured out on their souls. When our hearts are full of ourselves, we don’t have much room for God.

Despite their foibles and their frailties, the saints found a way to empty themselves of themselves and let the love of God fill their hearts. The more love God gave them, the more the saints were able to return that love, even to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice of their lives (like Blessed Miguel Pro). This is not to make light of the heroic virtues that the saints displayed. Many of them bore courageous witness before emperors, kings, magistrates and judges. We have only to read the accounts of Sts. Agnes, Cecilia and the martyrs of Northern Africa.

But, if we keep beating ourselves up and saying that we just can’t be this or that, then, we are allowing Satan to get the better of us. I admire St. Agnes and St. Thomas More. But, I must recognize that they are “them” and I am me, benedictgal, a person with her own foibles and frailities, a sinful creature. But, do I have the potential for sainthood? Only by God’s grace, strength and mercy can I even think of becoming a saint. Do I get discouraged? Yes. Do I sin? Yes, by a whole lot. But, I need to perservere.

Perseverence is the key to all of this. We have not yet completed the course of our earthly pilgrimage. The good thing is that we do not walk alone. In another thread, I said that we are a Church of community. We have the Church Triumphant who walk alongside us and we have our brothers and sisteres who are the Church Militant (us) and the Church Suffering who pray for us. All we have to do is trust and persevere.

 

[newyorkcatholic]

-the Saints had flaws (just to keep in mind)

-but we should not accept our flaws – we also should not assume we must change them ourselves. Keep asking God to transform you, to give you His Grace, and let Him work in you. Cooperate with His Grace.

Here’s what I think: the fact that you have read lives of the Saints and have a motivation to emulate them, and to be calm and peaceful, is a wonderful gift from God. You are blessed to have it. Thank Him! And He will give you more gifts, because He is calling you to be a saint too.

God bless.