In the second reading from St James this Sunday, the apostle warns us about the destructive power of jealously. He says: “Whenever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony and wicked things of every kind being done”. Below is wisdom from YouCat and the Catechism on how we can overcome this vice.
“Envy is sadness and annoyance at the sight of another's well-being and the desire to acquire unjustly what others have. Anyone who wishes other people ill commits a sin. Envy decreases when we try to rejoice more and more in the accomplishments and gifts of others, when we believe in God's benevolent providence for ourselves as well and when we set out set our hearts on true wealth which consists of the fact that we already participate in God's life through the Holy Spirit” (YouCat, para. 466)
“Envy represents a form of sadness and therefore a refusal of charity; the baptized person should struggle against it by exercising good will. Envy often comes from pride; the baptized person should train himself to live in humility”. St John Chrysostom offers this advice to us who struggle with envy: “Would you like to see God glorified by you? Then rejoice in your brother or sister's progress and you will immediately give glory to God” (Catechism, para. 2540).
‘As rust consumes iron, so envy consumes the soul that is afflicted by it’
St Basil the Great.
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