Thirteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time

"Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!" Abraham was greatly distressed, especially on account of his son Ishmael. But God said to Abraham: "Do not be distressed about the boy or about your slave woman. Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you; for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation of him also, since he too is your offspring."

Jealousy can corrupt all of us if we let it. It is a sin that worms its way into our hearts and slowly gnaws at us from the inside out. Like all sins, it is best to resist it from the outset. If left to feast on our darker emotions, it can lead us to not only evil thoughts, but evil actions, too. Envying others does us no good. It is a waste of time that only leeches our time and energy and gives us nothing in return. In fact, because the time we spend on envious thoughts leaves us empty, it makes us even more aware of what we lack which in turn leads to more and more jealousy. So, best to resist these harmful thoughts from the beginning and instead always be supportive of others, like God was supportive of Hagar and Ishmael.

Are we jealous of anyone? If so, how can we rid ourselves of our jealousy? What can we do to be more loving and supportive of those we are tempted to envy?

O Lord, uproot all envy in our hearts.

Amen.