In the book of Genesis, we read the story of Joseph and his brothers. Jacob, the father of Joseph, loved Joseph so much that he even made for him a beautiful cloak with many colors and patterns. The affection Joseph enjoyed from his father stoked much jealousy among his brothers.
To make the situation even worse, Joseph had two dreams where in one he and his brothers were out in the garden binding sheaves, when suddenly his sheaf stood up and the sheaves of his brothers gathered around his sheaf and started bowing down to it. In another dream, Joseph dreamt that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to him. The interpretation was that he was destined to be a leader, and his parents and siblings would pay great respect to him. That did not sit well with his brothers, who plotted his murder.
In Genesis 37, we hear about a moment when Joseph’s brothers thought they had gotten the right opportunity to kill him. They said “Here comes the master dreamer! Let us kill him and see what comes of his dreams.” They seized him, stripped him of his beautiful cloak, and threw him into a deep dry well. Later they retrieved him and sold him into slavery, with hopes that he would never be seen again. We know his story takes twists and turns while in slavery in Egypt, but he eventually became the Prime Minister of Egypt.
A Lesson on Jealousy
The story of Joseph teaches us a lesson about jealousy. This is the human desire to possess affection meant for someone else. It is the desire to steal love meant for someone else. We can see this in families, we can see it in workplaces, we can see it in communities, we see it in institutions, we even see it in faith communities. When allowed to grow, jealousy can cause so much damage to the individual himself as well as to the victim.
One way to respond to this disordered human desire is to strengthen our identity in God. When we know we are loved, when we know we are valuable and precious in the eyes of God, we do not depend on validation from others. Many people in our world entirely depend on external validation from others. That dependency is fragile. It is only God’s love that is solid, unchangeable, and pure. When we become solid in our perception of who we are in the eyes of God, it settles something foundational at the center of our lives. When people love us and respect us, that becomes complimentary to what we already have.
Have you ever been a victim or a perpetrator of jealousy? What was it about? Who was the other party involved? How was that resolved? We are in the Jubilee Year and are invited to make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We can ask ourselves—Where is our identity located? Who am I and to whom do I belong?
May we ask for God’s grace to remember that our identity is in God Himself. May His grace help us to be secure in His love for us. May His grace fill any deep-seated feelings we have of being less.
- Father Fred's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
