Chapter 4: Guidelines for Christian and monastic good practice (paragraphs 3-5)

Don't let your actions be governed by anger nor nurse your anger against a future opportunity of indulging it. (From para. 3 of Chapter 4 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

Repetitive thoughts that run around in my head, weigh down my heart. These patterns of negativity stem, I think, from my wounded ego. As I recognize these useless mental habits, I see how much they are like distractions at the time of meditation. I am learning to let them go.