Anger is the worst fault. It's the heart of the devil. The angry person gnaws away every virtuous grain and devours everything that's germinating.
Anger is a stubborn thief. It gnashes its teeth at people because of their worth gifts from God. It steals whatever it can snatch.
Anger starts controversy wherever it can. Anger is a dragon burning everything up wherever it goes. In anger, wisdom is unwise, patience strains with impatience, and temperance rushes around without moderation.
Anger is the bitterness vomiting out of the goodness and sweetness in God's teachings. Its the murderer dividing body and soul and not allowing them to be together. It's also a hard, immovable rock because it grinds away every good and honest thing. When anger overcomes someone, it overcomes them with great madness, thinking neither about earthly things now about heavenly things while it shatters another person who was made in God's image.
Anger attracts great torments to itself.
Avoid this sin if you want to live in God. Avoid it so you don't wound your soul seriously. Repent while you can.
---Hildegard of Bingen, The Book of the Rewards of Life, as found in Incandescence by Carmen Butcher
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