Jealousy - September 19, 2021

Today’s readings remind us of the dangers of “jealousy and selfish ambition.” In the second reading, we are told that jealousy leads to disorder and a lack of peace. I think that many of us can find examples in our own lives, as well as in the world around us where we see the truth of this message.

When we become focused on what we do not have (or think we do not have), it becomes harder and harder to find peace with our situation in life. Feelings of jealousy can blind us to the many good gifts God has already given us.

We see this in the experience of the Apostles in today’s Gospel. We hear how the disciples argue amongst themselves as to who is the greatest. They have all been given the tremendous gift of being called to follow Jesus in a unique and intimate way. Shortly before their argument, we hear that Jesus even entrusts the message about his coming passion, death, and resurrection to them! And yet, this privileged closeness with Christ is not enough, and each disciple seeks to place himself ahead of the others.

Jesus sees the danger in this jealousy and pride and reminds them about the meaning of true greatness: to be servant to all. This is a great lesson to us as we seek to root out the jealousy we may find in our own hearts.

Shifting the focus from ourselves to a focus on others can help us avoid the pitfalls of jealousy. Instead of dwelling on what we lack, we can spend time thinking about how we can help others.

If you find yourself feeling tempted towards feelings of jealousy and discontentment this week, consider taking some time to refocus on the needs of those around you.