The Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
In the name of Jesus. Amen. Wrath. It is a frightening word. When we hear that word, it communicates something, a dangerous kind of anger. Indeed, wrath is anger on steroids. It is anger that has lost restraint. It is anger that no longer seeks understanding but revenge. It is anger that rages and boils until it erupts. To make things worse, it is the kind of anger that can settle into a family and remain there for generations. If we are going to speak plainly, wrath is the breaking of the Fifth Commandment. The Fifth Commandment says, “You shall not murder.” Now, many people hear that commandment and assume it only deals with physical violence. But the Catechism teaches us otherwise. The Fifth Commandment is not merely about striking our neighbor with our fists. It is also about what happens in our hearts and minds. We break this commandment whenever we harm our neighbor, whenever we hate our neighbor, whenever we refuse to help and support our neighbor in every...
