Always Advent

The dictionary definition of jealousy differs only slightly from that of envy, but the moral implications of envy are far worse.

To be jealous is to be “intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness; disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness; vigilant in guarding a possession.” Jealousy most often enters into love relationships. For example, a toddler is jealous of mom and dad’s attentions when the new baby comes along. A smitten young man doesn’t like to see his girlfriend talking to other guys. In the Bible, God even describes Himself as “a jealous God” because He desires above all else our exclusive love and devotion to Him, the only true God, and doesn’t want us chasing after other “gods”. (see Deuteronomy 5:9)

To be envious, though, is to cross the line into malice—envy is “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.” In other words, you see something that someone else has, you don’t like the fact that they have it, you want it for yourself, and you don’t want them to have it anymore. The object of envy can be a material possession, a quality, talent or virtue, an achievement or success, a relationship, or any number of things.

Envy is so bad that it is listed with six other capital sins, so named because they themselves lead to other sins and vices. St. Gregory the Great wrote that “from envy are born hatred, detraction, calumny, joy in the misfortune of a neighbor, and displeasure in his prosperity.” Envy is a sin against the tenth commandment, which says “You shall not covet…anything that is your neighbor’s…You shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Ex 20:17; Deut 5:21) When envy wishes grave harm to a neighbor it is a mortal sin. (CCC 2539)

The biblical story of Joseph and his brothers is a good example of how jealousy can morph into dangerous envy. Joseph’s eleven brothers were jealous of him because their father loved him best and gave him special attention and gifts. Perhaps many of us can even sympathize with them. Who wouldn’t feel bad in a situation like that? But they crossed the line into an envy so malicious that they eventually threw Joseph into a cistern and sold him into slavery. Another familiar biblical story–Cain’s jealousy of his brother Abel—ended violently in the first murder in human history.

The Catechism says that “envy must be banished from the human heart”. But that doesn’t mean we must have no ambition, no desire to move ahead and no desire to do well in our studies or careers. Being inspired by others’ achievements and wanting to emulate their successes is not envy.

But if we do find ourselves struggling with envy, or jealousy that is on the brink of becoming envy, we must take positive steps to root it out of our lives. Envy is closely bound up with selfishness and egoism—wanting everything my way, wanting the world to revolve around me, wanting all the accolades, rewards, and advantages to come to me and to no one else, and so on.

If we find ourselves feeling this way, we can think about Our Lord Jesus, who, even though he was God, emptied himself and became little and humble for our sakes, who said “the first shall be last and the last shall be first”, who said that we must deny ourselves in order to follow him, who said that it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, and who suffered the humiliation and suffering of the cross out of love for us. (copyright 2007 by Clare Siobhan. Originally published in Family Centered Faith Formation News, January 2007, by the Office of Religious Education at Holy Trinity Catholic Church)

Links

Homily of the Day on Catholic Exchange for 1/24/08: “A Jealous Heart is a Great Destroyer” by Msgr. Dennis Clark:
http://www.catholicexchange.com/node/68478

Articles archived at www.catholicexchange.com (Go to the main page and click on the link “Search CE Archives” near the top right-hand corner. The last couple times I’ve tried to find something here, the page wouldn’t open, but check back occasionally and they may have fixed it. These are good articles.)

“Envy—It’s a Killer” by Fr. James Farfaglia. 11/04/06
“Capital Sins (part 2) by Fr. William Saunders, 9/13/01
“Anatomy of Envy” by Marcellino D’Ambrosio 9/25/06

Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2535—2550