June 13, 2019 Thursday of the 10th Week of Ordinary Time -C ST ANTHONY OF PADUA, PRIEST, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
2 Corinthians 3:15—4:1, 3-6
Psalm 85
Matthew 5:20-26
…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Cor. 3:17
“…whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment…” Mt. 5:22
Lord, we are a people who love freedom. Throughout our nation’s history we have fought and worked for freedom from oppression and tyranny. But I think Paul is talking about another kind of freedom. He speaks of freedom from the prison of sin. You warned us that anger is the younger brother of murder. So many violent and deadly sins begin with anger. Everyone is subject to anger. Some of us more so than others. We know in our hearts that uncontrolled anger can lead to tragic consequences. We may regret what we said or did when in a fit of rage. Anger can be a prison that takes away our freedom to live as you taught us. Lord, help me to resist angry reactions to whatever triggers it in my life. I want to stop short of hurting others or damaging relationships with people I care about or even people I don’t know. Lord, I must have your help to stop and pause when my buttons are pushed and I want to react harshly. Help me to recognize the first signs of anger and immediately go to prayer. St. Anthony pray for us. Amen.