Envy Defiles!

It is the end of the month and the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel is about envy and goodness. The apostles encountered someone driving out demons in Jesus name but was not willing to follow them. That someone created the ire of the apostles that they told Jesus. Jesus rebuked them instead and reminded them of some faith basics; "For whoever is not against us is for us," and later praised those who do good deeds and warned those who do evil. How the apostles took it, I do not dare guess. But I am sure the Lord Jesus did not want to miss teaching His apostles something important in the situation.

Envy defiles. Jesus knows! Thus, He immediately nips it from the bud as far as the apostles are concerned. Jesus could not let that attitude persist. He wants the apostles to be spared by it. With envy, we tend to focus on ourselves; what we have and not have. We see the lack as a weakness and a misery and we see what we have as either rightly ours or riches. When we start to compare ourselves with others, we either feel inferior for the lack or superior for the advantage. In both cases we are left to handle two dangerous feelings. With envy, we try to equalize. With superiority, we try to dominate. These are very tiring situations. These are very tempting situations.many times we are caught in the trap. Envy defiles!

Goodness is God's business. Goodness is the expectation of a Catholic Christian. Goodness is a welcome act. The offense made by that someone against the apostles does not really matter. In the first place, doing things in the name of Jesus and not the apostles was the point. The apostle's ego was affected, so be it. But what counts was Jesus! Jesus has the power. Jesus gives the power. Jesus is the Son of God!

We all are guilty of these attitudes. In our effort to protect and preserve ourselves, we criticize and undermine others who rival and surpass what we have and do. We see them as threats rather than friends and companions achieving a common goal. in the process, we regress and spend more time overcoming our envy. If we just allow and accept them and go on improving and doing our craft, we maintain ourselves and more. The more comes from others. Those more will also benefit us!

"Crab mentality", we call it. Kawawa naman yung mga crabs. They were just acting by their instincts. But that is not our instinct. We were created good and therefore we must do good and love good even if they come not from us! Let us begin the attitude of appreciating the good of others. When the world is flooded with goodness, the world benefits.

Be good because God is good!