What can I say about the work of mercy where your wealth is not given away but where something is let go from your heart? I’m talking about the anger you store up against someone. What could be sillier than to avoid an external enemy and retain a much worse one in the depths of your heart? That is precisely what you do if you don’t very quickly get rid of your anger. If anger has boldly and shamelessly lived in your breast up to these holy days, at least now let it beat a retreat from there so that your prayers may proceed without anxiety and not stammer or grow dumb under the piercing guilt of an angry conscience.

—Augustine, Sermon 208