“If heavenly grace and true charity come in, there shall be no envy or narrowness of heart, nor shall self-love keep its hold. For divine charity overcomes all and dilates all the powers of the soul.” Theresa of Child Jesus
Let us reflect on where does envy stem from? What really causes envy? At many times we shall realize it comes from within. It is a force against self-defeat based on self-assertions which on all occasions does not cooperate with the Divine. It is a fight against the Divine. It rejects the voice of the Divine and so its outwards rage is to cause pain and death.
Receiving and Cooperating with God
God from our creation made us as creatures receptable of him but through our own cooperation. And God speaks in our conscience. The Vatican II document “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes), no. 16” asserts “Deep within their consciences men and women discover a law which they have not laid upon themselves and which they must obey…Conscience is the most secret core and the sanctuary of the human person. There they are alone with God whose voice echoes in their depths.”
True Friendship is Rooted in God
Envy stems from fright of what God has endowed another. It’s pain we cause to ourselves for not realizing the power of God working in us. In the first reading, we see a close relationship between Jonathan and David. It's a love that goes beyond all human ties. Jonathan was the first son of Soul. He was directly a crown prince. David was the last son of a farmer. A shepherd of sheep. But one common thing that made them become friends was their love and trust in God. They had a concrete connection with the Divine. They were not blood brothers but by their relationship with God their love was nourished.
True friendship must relate to GOD. A true family union must find its anchor in Jesus. To create that strong bond of love with your partner you must cultivate strong relationship with God through prayer.
Envy Sours Relationship
David was fully submissive to Saul. David knew that in order to receive a blessing he needed to listen to his King. Saul sends David to wars. He sent him to fight and lead the Israelite Army. David became popular because he trusted God. People saw his courage and love. It was striking for Saul to hear the praises of David among the people. As we have heard the women hint song of the Day was, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousand.”
Here David, son of a shepherd, is being praised but still remains calm. At this point David has a test, either to rely on these praises and forget God or remain connected with God for God’s will to be manifested. David would be envious towards Saul’s throne and probably feel entitled at this point but allows God to take Control. On the other side, Saul cannot agree with these praises because he has cut his connection with God. It is a bad sign for a leader to be threatened by the success of his juniors. It portrays weakness.
Learning to See with God's Eyes
If I find myself struggling to understand another person, especially when he/she is gifted or talented more than me, I should ask myself if this thinking or feeling comes from the Divine. If his or her gifts are causing me pain, I should be careful not to act like Cain towards Abel or become Saul plotting evil against the other person.
Ways that we can overcome envy are; honest admission of it, confessions-grace of sacrament heals, do not give in to it but do the opposite, pray for the person you envy, compliment and praise, give thanks to God for the gifts you have and others, cultivate a team spirit, and emulate Mary’s Humility in the Magnificat, “My Soul Glorifies the Lord...”
- Today’s Readings
- Father Joachim'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.
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