Saturday 17th May – Saturday of the 4th week of Easter
Reflection: Acts 13: 44-52
GUARD AGAINST JEALOUSY
One of our essential needs as human beings is happiness; in the hearts of each one of us is a daily craving for fulfilment and joy. Unfortunately, man in his search for happiness and fulfilment often turns his searchlight in the wrong direction – he seeks the plenitude of this world’s goods in himself and for himself. As he has turned to self in other to glorify self, he cannot but be sad! This is the root of envy, the genesis of jealousy.
We are all creatures of purpose, beautifully and wonderfully made with the capacity for enormous good through the grace we receive at baptism. Christ with His manifold ability and goodness seeks to find expression in all of us his children. He seeks to beautify creation through our diverse callings, gifts and potentials as we unite our hearts with him in love. It is this love that enables us to appreciate and promote the good in others without being jealous or resentful. This love rather spurs us to be the best God has individually called us to be for the good of humanity and to the glory of himself.
Beloved friend, jealousy is a cancer of the soul, as it erodes from it all initiative for goodness, right doing and happiness. It is an affront on the workings of God in the lives of others and with this comes self-destruction. “As rust consumes iron, so envy consumes the soul that is afflicted by it.” (St Basil the Great [330 -379])
Please let us guard against jealousy through sincere appreciation of one another and perfect submission to God to make our lives the splendour he desires it to be.
Prayer: Oh Lord! Root out my heart all traces of jealousy and please give me a loving heart that celebrates the good in others. Amen.
KNOW YOUR FAITH: YOUCAT 466 – What is envy, and how can you fight against it?
Envy is sadness and annoyance at the sight of another’s well-being and the desire to acquire unjustly what others have. Anyone who wishes other people ill commits a serious sin. Envy decreases when we try to rejoice more and more in the accomplishments and gifts of others, when we believe in God’s benevolent providence for ourselves as well, and when we set our hearts on true wealth, which consists of the fact that we already participate in God’s life through the Holy Spirit.
HIDE A TREASURE: “Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flows the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23 RSV-CE
Readings for today: Acts 13: 44-52; Psalm 98: 1-4; John 14: 7-14
Catholic Devotional for Youth 