The Orthodox church has a long list of saints who struggled with anger. These saints include St. Nathalan, St. Angela, St. Dorotheos, and St. Syncletike. These holy men struggled with anger and possessed a great deal of grace. If you’re suffering from anger, you can turn to the Orthodox saints for help.
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St. Nathalan
During the time of St. Nathalan’s life, he struggled with anger and struggled to control it. One day, he was irritated by a storm that was preventing him from harvesting his crops. He swore to learn to control his temper. In order to achieve this, he bound his right hand with an iron lock and threw the key into a river. He then promised never to unlock the iron lock until he made the pilgrimage to Rome. Luckily, a boy in Rome was willing to sell him a fish containing the key.
Anger can be a powerful spiritual force, and can lead to courageous action and an ascent to God. It is, however, important to remember that anger must be subordinated to the mind. It is only when the mind is able to control the feelings of anger that a person can attain the goal of spiritual maturity and theosis.
St. Angela
The life of St. Angela is filled with a variety of experiences and struggles. She was born into a wealthy Italian family and married a man of high social status. During her early years, she was more interested in accumulating status and wealth than she was in serving God and others. However, at age forty, she realized that her life was too shallow and began to sell all of her worldly goods to serve the poor. Ultimately, St. Angela decided to make a difference and founded a religious order of women to serve the poor.
Angela’s life is an example of someone who fought against anger in the middle of a crisis. She prayed for her sister’s soul while on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, and it was during that journey that her sight was miraculously restored. After a long struggle with anger, St. Angela was eventually invited by Pope Clement VII to live and work in Rome. This led to the formation of the Ursuline Order.
St. Syncletike
St. Syncletike, an Orthodox saint, was an Egyptian native. She was born into a wealthy family, but she loved the purity of virginity, and refused to marry. Rather, she spent her days praying and sharing her inheritance with the poor. She died at the age of eighty, but not before she gave the final instructions to the nuns.
When her enemy was about to attack her, she called on the Master to help her fight the beast. This simple ascetic practice did not extinguish the lion’s attack. So, she fought the beast and prayed for His help.
St. Aloysius
St. Aloysius was a young Orthodox saint who struggled with anger. He had a difficult life, enduring physical abuse and attacks by the devil. He was also plagued with many illnesses and an agonizing spiritual dryness. Fortunately, he had the help of the Blessed Mother and his guardian angel.
As an adolescent, he studied the Scriptures intently. He became a priest and eventually a bishop in the Holy Land when the Arian heresy spread. He lived long enough to witness the Council of Constantinople and to write treatises for the catechumens – people who study the faith during Lent.
Despite his pious upbringing, St. Aloysius’s devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus helped him overcome his anger and reclaim the joy of being a Christian. He was known as a reformer and a scholar, and was often called out of his contemplation to preach and lead people to holiness. Later, he collaborated with the popes to prevent abuses in the church, and was elevated to bishop.
