CHAPTER VIII.
CHARITY IS NOT PROVOKED TO ANGER.
(Charitas non irritatur.)
He that loves Jesus Christ is never angry with his Neighbor.
The virtue not to be angry at the contrarieties that happen to us is the daughter of meekness. We have already spoken at length of the acts which belong to meekness in preceding chapters; but since this is a virtue which requires to be constantly practised by every one living among his fellow-men, we will here make some remarks on the same subject more in particular, and more adapted for practice.
Humility and meekness were the favorite virtues of Jesus Christ; so that he bade his disciples learn of him to be meek and humble: Learn of Me, for I am meek and humble of heart.[1] Our Redeemer was called the Lamb—Behold the Lamb of God[2]—as well in consideration of his having to be offered in sacrifice on the cross for our sins, as in consideration of the meekness exhibited by him during his entire life, but more especially at the time of his Passion. When in the house of Caiphas he received a blow from that servant, who at the same time upbraided him with presumption in those words: Answerest thou the high-priest so? Jesus only answered: If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil; but if well, why strikest thou me?[3] He observed the same invariable
