Pride and Anger: Obstacles to Sanctification
You see that anger and pride are rooted in me, that I am not capable of destroying these two horrible monsters within me. Therefore, my Jesus, destroy them in me entirely and forever. (OOCC, X, p. 362; STA, 390)
St. Vincent Pallotti believed that besides acquiring the spirit of sacrifice, cultivating the spirit of humility is very vital for a person’s sanctification and spiritual growth. In his attempt to live a spirit of humility and thereby attain true Christian perfection, St. Vincent found two obstacles in his life, that is, pride and anger. His writings reveal that he was struggling with these two obstacles to his sanctification throughout his life, as there were references made to them both at the earlier and later periods of his spiritual life. The manner in which references to pride and anger were made in his writings might sound a bit exaggerated, as St. Vincent always considered himself as the worst of all sinners, even though such a perception about his spiritual state was not really true. But the fact that he refers to them often indicates that it was not easy for St. Vincent to curb these tendencies within him, and that he had to struggle a lot to keep them in check and under control. St. Vincent had a natural fiery temperament and these weaknesses of pride and anger were, without any doubt, related to his nature. The effort he had to put forth to overcome them and remain humble throughout his life pointed to the true spirit of humility he attempted to live in his life. Though St. Vincent struggled with pride and anger in his life, he never allowed them to master him, but rather he was always their master.
Do I recognize the value of true humility in my life? What are some of the weaknesses I suffer from which go against the spirit of humility? Am I honest in accepting my weaknesses? Do I make every effort to master my weaknesses?
God’s steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain. (Tit. 1: 7)