Book I, Chapter V Summary and Analysis

Wrath is another spiritual sin to which many beginners fall prey. Wrath can affect the life of a Christian after a person has been pleasurably involved in spiritual activities and the pleasure fades, so the new Christian is angry about that. This feeling is natural and is not a sin and only become a sin when the person allows the spirit to indulge in the wrath. However, St. John notes that this wrath is best purged by a trip through the dark night. Other beginners fall prey to spiritual wrath when they allow the sins of others to irritate them, even to the point of correcting another. Others become angry at their own spiritual imperfections. There people try to build their own spirituality instead of waiting on God's timing and, thus, become frustrated with their...