Don't Let Your Anger Consume You

The Daily Prayer of the Church continues with the Acts of the Apostles and we hear Herod’s reaction to Peter’s angelic prison break:

 

When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

 

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. The people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!’ And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

 

But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents. Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark.  (Acts 12:18-25).

 

Herod believes that he has the power of life and death, and he does.  However, Herod misuses his power.  He is an angry man.  Herod reacts with anger when he hears that Peter has escaped his prison.  He is so angry that he orders the guards to be killed. Herod is also angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and he has the power to starve those people to death.  When Herod comes to visit the people of Tyre and Sidon, they lavish great praise on him to appease him so that they will not starve.  Herod, the angry man, believes his own lies, and he forgets who the Truth is.  Herod is literally eaten from the inside out; his anger has consumed him.

 

How many times have we allowed ourselves to become controlled by anger so much so that it begins to eat at us?  Don’t be like Herod; remember the Truth.

 

Let us pray:  O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the  night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

CALENDAR REMINDERS

 

Paint to the Music: the week of 25 July from 10 am to 1 pm at Bright-Davies Hall, the Art Room.

 

Contemporary Moral Issues: 11:00 a.m. on Sundays.  

 

The Seaside Seniors will meet this Thursday for lunch starting at 11:00 a.m. and then there will be dancing from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursday evening.

 

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List, especially Henry and Marguerite who are in the hospital.

 

Your servant in Christ,

 

The Rev. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church

Galveston, Texas 77550