No one to blame but ourselves

From this morning's reading in In Conversation with God: Advent and Christmastide, comes a reflection that dovetails completely with my readings yesterday from Mother Teresa's Secret Fire. That book has some tremendously helpful ways to show how it is possible to see Jesus in the people around us. I am going to be sharing pieces of that very soon. Here is what hit me this morning, which really needs no backup.

... To contemplate Jesus will especially help us not to be arrogant, and not to lose our tempers when things go wrong.

We must not make the mistake of thinking that this "bad temper" of ours, which bursts out in very definite circumstances and times, depends on the character of the people around us. The peace of our spirit does not depend on the good nature and kindness of other people. Our neighbors' good nature and kindness are in no way subject to our control of opinion. That would be absurd. The tranquility of our heart depends on ourselves. The ability to avoid anger, with all its ridiculous effects, has to come from within ourselves and not be dependent on the nature of other people. The power to overcome the evil in our character must not depend on some perfection outside us, but on our own virtue. (Cassian, Constitutions, 8)

Guilty, as charged. However, I sometimes am victorious in stuffing that bad temper down until the moment passes by contemplating either Jesus or Mary (the perfect disciple), which is a definite improvement!