Envy is sadness at another's good and joy at another's evil. What rust is to iron, what moths are to wool, what termites are to wood, that envy is to the soul: the assassination of brotherly love. We are not here concerned with just envy or zeal which inspires us to emulate good example and to progress with those who are our betters, for the Scriptures enjoin us to "be zealous for spiritual gifts"; rather we here touch on that sinful envy which is a willful grieving at another's good, either spiritual or temporal, for the reason that it seems to diminish our own good. The honour paid to another is regarded by the envious man as a reflected disgraced on himself and he is sad in consequence.

Envy manifests itself in discord, hatred, malicious joy, backbiting, detraction, imputing of evil motives, jealousy and calumny. A sample of this kind of envy we find in one of the two women who asked Solomon to adjudicate their dispute. The first woman said: "This woman and I live in the same house... This woman's child died during the night, for in her sleep she smothered him by lying on him. Late that night she got up and took my child from my side, as I, your handmaid was sleeping... and laid her dead child in my bosom". To which the other woman answered: "that is not so! The dead child is yours, the living child is mine."

Since there were no witnesses, Solomon ordered a sword to be brought to him, for he rightly judged that the motherly heart of the real mother would rather give up her child than see it killed. Brandishing the glittering sword he said: "Divide the living child in two and give half to the one, and half to the other". Hearing this the woman whose child was alive cried out in terror and pity: "I beseech you, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it". But the other said: "Let it be either mine nor yours; divide it." Then the king commanded the child be given to her who rather give it up to another than have it killed, knowing that she must be the mother. The point of the story is that envy which is so jealous of the good of another may reach a point where it scruples not to take a life.

In our times, envy has taken on an economic form. The avarice of the rich is being matched by the envy of the poor. Some poor hate the rich not because they have unjustly stolen their possessions but because they want their possessions. Certain have-nots are scandalized at the wealth of the haves, only because they are tempted by lust for their possessions. The poor often hate the rich only because they want to be rich themselves; they envy the rich not so much because of their need but because of their greed. Combined with this is social envy or snobbery which sneers at the higher position of others because the snobs want to sit in their chairs and enjoy their applause.

They assume that in not arriving at such popular favour themselves they were deprived of their due. That is why we hate those who do not pay sufficient attention to us and why we love those who flatter us. If envy is on the increase today, as it undoubtedly is, it is because of the surrender of the belief of a future life and righteous Divine justice. If this life is all, they think they should have all. From that point on, envy of others becomes their rule of life.

Our Lord was unceasing in His preaching against envy. To those who were envious of the mercy extended the lost sheep He pictured the angels of heaven rejoicing more at the one sinner doing penance than at the ninety-nine just who did not need to do penance. To those who were envious of wealth He warned: "Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Rather store up treasures for yourselves in heaven where neither moth or rust destroy and where thieves neither break in nor steal." To those who were envious of power such as the Apostles quarreling about who was to be first in the Kingdom. He placed a little child in their midst and putting His arms around him reminded them that heaven was open only to those who were as simple children, for Christ is not in the great but in the small: "Whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me. And whoever receives Me, receives not Me but the One Who sent Me."

But His preaching against envy did not save Him from the envious. Pilate was envious of His power; Annas was envious of His innocence; Caiaphas was envious of His popularity; Herod was envious of His moral superiority; the Scribes and Pharisees were envious of His wisdom. Each of these had built his judgement seat of mock moral superiority from which to sentence Morality to the Cross. And in order that He might no longer be a person to be envied they reputed Him with the wicked. Born between an ox and an ass, they now crucify Him between two criminals. That was the last insult they could give Him. To the public eye they created the impression that three thieves and not two were silhouetted against the sky. In a certain sense it was true: two stole gold out of avarice, one stole hearts out of love. Salvandus, Salvator and Salvatus: The thief who could have been saved; the thief who was saved; and the Saviour who saved them. The crosses spelled out the words Envy, Mercy and Pity.

The thief on the left envied the Power which Our Blessed Lord claimed. As the chief priests, scribes and ancients ridiculed the Saviour sneering: "He saved others - himself he cannot save," the thief on the left added to their reviling: "Aren't you the Messiah? Then save yourself and us." In other words: "If I had that power of yours, that power which you claim as the Messiah, I would use it differently than to hang helpless on a tree. I would step down from the Cross, smite my enemies and prove what power really is." Thus did Envy reveal that if it had the gifts which it envies in others it would misuse them, as the thief on the left would have surrendered redemption from sin for release from a nail. In like manner many in the world today who are envious of wealth would probably lose their souls if they had that wealth. Envy never thinks of responsibilities. Looking only to self it misuses every gift that comes its way.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -