Musings of a Catholic
Do what ever He tells you (Jn 2:5)
Living The Christian Life
Envy is probably best described as sadness at another's good and joy at another's evil. Another way to put it is that we willfully grieve at someone else good whether it be temporal or spiritual, or we rejoice when something bad happens to someone. Envy is essentially competitive. We want the good for ourselves. We do not want someone else to have what I desire. This does not mean that competition is bad, but it does mean that competition can create an environment where envy is encouraged or even supported.
When our belief in a future life declines; when we no longer believe in a God that is just, who will punish those who deserve to be punished and reward those who deserve to be rewarded then envy becomes the rule. If I don't believe that people will be punished in the next life then I want to make sure they get their due in this life. I also want to make sure that I get all that I can get for myself in this life.
It seems to me that the sin of envy is extremely evident in our world today. In fact it is so prevalent we don't even notice it most the time. We envy those around us that have more than we have. We deserve it just as much as they do. We envy people that seem to be content with life. We envy those that have good health. We don't look at the good we have, only the good those around us have. Envy also shows itself in the things people say about others. If we can find or say something bad about someone else we can make ourselves feel better. The world today loves gossip. A good portion of the so called news we get on the TV is gossip. We just love to hear about the sins of those in the lime light.
Take time today to review your own life, Ask who are what are you envious of? Keep in mind that envy can be extremely subtle. We can be envious of a persons goodness as well as other aspects of their life. Mother Nadine tells the story of a nun that felt she did not have a problem with envy. But when she started praying about it the Lord pointed out to her that she envied those that she believed God loved more than He loved her.
The Seven Deadly Sins
Envy
Part One
