The feeling of envy poisons the soul and destroys relationships. That's why it's important to develop habits that can overcome this feeling.
Envy destroys because it cannot bear that someone else has something that we do not have. An envious person is constantly suffering because he wishes the other person bad instead of good. Such a person is usually sad and grumpy, says bad things about others, despises other people, suffers from megalomania and constant competition.
This is the opinion of Father Emiliano Antenucci, who wrote a book about why it is important to say good things about our fellow man. Pope Francis gave this book to his Holy See colleagues and employees this year. Father Antenucci recently published a new book together with Father Aldo Buonaiuto on the topic related to the above. Title: "Envy: The Deadly Poison - Why Him, Why Not Me?" (The book is currently only available in Italian.)
According to the authors, envy is the "poison of the soul", which is accompanied by the belittling of one's own values. Envious people desire what belongs to others because they do not appreciate their own dignity and values. He looks negatively at the other person, and the reason for this is his own insecurity, lack of self-esteem, and the resulting lack of objectivity. They limit him from seeing reality as it is. After all, different people have different talents. Therefore, we should not wish for the other person to lose what is his, but we should do everything in order to develop and make use of the values inherent in us.
The Bible reveals envy as the cause of many sins: for example, when Cain murders Abel, or the story of King Saul's aggression against David. Envy can tear families and nations apart and pit them against each other, and can even lead to wars.
The co-author of the volume, Father Buonaiuto (who is also an anthropologist and exorcist), believes that envy is the worst of the major sins, as it has serious consequences both on an individual and social level.
The first step in overcoming envy is recognizing it. For this we need humility and objectivity. This is not easy, but eventually leads to peace of mind and more happiness.
In summary:
"envy is nothing but sadness at the happiness of others. It can be overcome with gratitude for our life, as well as appreciation and joy for the values and successes of others."
says Father Emiliano Antenucci.
Here are 5 five steps or methods to overcome envy in our hearts and lives.
- Let's pray
If we want to cleanse our eyes and heart of the poison of envy, it is best to pray. Father Antenucci recommends the following prayer:
I pray to you now, Jesus
Please help me to get rid of the disgusting poison of envy,
which Satan brought into the world.
Lord, please help me in my frailty and weakness.
I surrender everything to you, Lord: I surrender the moments when I have experienced feelings of envy, whether towards my friends, family or others.
Please, Holy Spirit, fill my heart and my life and free me completely from the feeling of envy!
Come, Holy Spirit of God, give me a pure and simple heart that is satisfied with all that I am and all that I have.
Come, Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see all the riches that are mine!
Come, Holy Spirit of God, protect me with your power, protect me from the envious who want to harm me and my family.
I reject all envy in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
- Let's give thanks
Fr. Emiliano advises us to pray and give thanks for all the many gifts we have received in our lives. However, according to him, we must learn to give thanks for the gifts that others have received! The prayer of thanksgiving is a means of getting rid of complacency, it helps us not to focus only on ourselves. At the same time, gratitude also expresses that we can not only rely on ourselves, that things do not only depend on us.
- We respect the other person
Respect is the feeling and attitude of esteem for another person. We respect a person whom we consider worthy of esteem and respect. Wise and holy people make us feel that we are special and important not because they want something from us, but because they reflect God's unconditional love for his children. We should treat everyone the same way.
- We value the other person
Appreciating someone or something means noticing and acknowledging the merits of a person, thing, or action. When we acknowledge another person, we look at the other person with the same optimism that our Heavenly Father looks at us.
- Let's act
Let's decide to rejoice in the talents and successes of others, to share in their joy as if it were our own. Father Antenucci says: when we pray, we should put our hands together, but don't be afraid to get them dirty when we do charity.
In summary:
With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to give thanks for all the goods and values that God has given us and our fellow human beings.
The feeling of envy evaporates when we realize that we all share in the dignity of God's children. Jealousy will disappear if we respect and appreciate the other - because we all have individual strengths and weaknesses. This attitude really bears fruit: it builds unity among people, drives away envy, and is embodied in common prayer and charitable deeds.
Translated by: Anna Kántorné Polonyi
Source: aleteia.org / zarandok.ma
Featured Image: Pixabay
