Part 3, Chapter 8
People wear masks. They wear masks for different reasons. The point of wearing a mask is for deception. It may be to have fun, to play a joke, or to do something really evil. And yet, masks are worn to protect the person underneath. But is it really protection?
Many times we wear masks in our lives. We look like one thing on the outside and on the inside we look very different. Sometimes we look good externally, but internally we are ravenous wolves. What I mean is this: in certain situations things happen to us from the outside where we look cool, calm and collect, but on the inside we are agitated, angry and not at peace. We have our masks on, but sooner or later our masks will come off and we will show our true colors.
Now this is not how we want to live, so what do we do? “It is better to learn how to live without being angry than to imagine one can moderate and control anger lawfully” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 91). So how do we deal with it anger? “When you feel [anger in the] first movements, collect yourself gently and seriously, not hastily or with impetuosity” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 91). What we need to do is bring God into our anger. So often we keep our anger to ourselves, we are aware of it, we think of it, but we never do anything more with it. It is our soul property and there it festers, it rages. “When we feel stirred with anger, we ought to call upon God for help, like the Apostles, when they were tossed about with wind and storm, and he is sure to say, ‘Peace, be still’ (Mk 4:39)” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 92). What we further need to do is talk to God respectfully about the agitation, and anger that is going on; we need to bring Him into the pain. We should tell God how much pain we are feeling, He knows, but God doesn’t go where He is not invited. Ask God to come into the pain. This is the humble thing to do and it helps us to be more devout.