Bearing wrongs patiently

The B.O.L foundation will work closely to conduct retreats to help families to patiently endure in a free and loving way a relationship with their members, and relatives who are perhaps annoying, unfriendly, boring, sluggish, and rude. Various sessions would be held to educate on the healing power of patience within the context of a family.

Patience as a virtue heals the vice of wrath. Where wrath is one of the seven deadly sins in Catholic tradition. It is important to distinguish between anger and wrath. 

Anger is as a passion where there is neither good nor evil and hence is neutral. [1] It can be noble if it is directed toward maintaining justice and correcting vice.[2] 

The wisdom tradition forcefully stresses that when faced with irritating brethren, the wise remember: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Prv 16:32). 

Jesus gives an example of such an anger with his confrontation with Pharisees and Scribes, especially seen in the Gospel of Matthew 23:15. Whereas wrath is an immoderate anger directed towards inflicting evil on others. And hence with this anger, “Everyone who remains angry with his brother is in danger of judgment.” (Matthew 5:22). To bear wrongs patiently is to be kind by exercising the virtue of patience, which is a “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22). 

[1] CCC, 1767, 1772, 1773.

[2] Ibid, 2302