Category: Sins and Virtues

Ira:
Anger, wrath, rage, fury, ire;
Anger, resentment, rage, wrath, indignation, fury, violence, bad blood

– WordHippo; World of Dictionary

What is Ira? What Constitutes Anger?

Anger: a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.

– Oxford dictionary

Anger. What do you think of when you think of anger?

Sometimes people fly off the handle, maybe flailing and hurling insults, maybe growling and throwing lamps. Many times, the images that come to mind are raging attackers – a crazed Mafioso or an abusive partner. And of course, there are plenty of movies with scenes of wrath and destruction.

Hulk smash!

– Bruce Banner as The Hulk,
any (Marvel) movie with the Hulk in it

I have a rather odd relationship with anger. Whereas others often describe anger as a controlling emotion, I think of it as my control emotion: when I’m feeling something I don’t want to surface, I used to call on anger to block it. (I noticed I haven’t done this recently – meaning I’ve been more prone to crying, something much more uncomfortable for me.)

For example, if someone were to unjustifiably attack my character, I may rage back instead of admitting to feeling cornered and frightened. It’s a rather brilliant defense mechanism because either emotion could be valid, so a simple swap of symptoms covers the perceived weakness well. I would rather display (what I know to be controlled) anger than real hurt because real hurt means real weakness and real weakness means a future target to an assailant.

How do you view anger? To me, anger is a shield. I’ve seen it used as a weapon, but it’s such a blunt instrument that I don’t understand why people would intentionally use it as such. Any time my anger has wanted to act as a weapon, I’ve snapped at it: Stop being stupid. But as a shield, I at least feel in control.

Is Anger Always Bad?

No; God exhibits anger in various places throughout the Bible, and we know that God is good and allows no bad to dwell in Him.

Examples of God’s Anger:

God is a righteous judge,
and a God who has indignation every day.

– Psalm 7:11

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The Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah only.

– 2 Kings 17:18

Apparently it’s not always bad for us, either. Check out what Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you.

– Ephesians 4:26, 31

However, We Should Typically Avoid Anger

There are so many verses warning against anger throughout the entire Bible. Jesus speaks against wrath, saying to make amends with the people you’re fighting with before making any offering to God. Here are some major points:

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

– Psalm 37:8

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He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

– Proverbs 14:29

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A fool gives full vent to his anger,
but a wise man quietly holds it back.

– Proverbs 29:11

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Be not quick to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

– Ecclesiastes 7:9

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The anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.

– James 1:20

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“But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.”

– Jesus in Matthew 5:22

What’s the Difference Between Sinful and Non-Sinful Anger?

We are called to “peace of heart,” denouncing murderous anger and hatred because they are immoral. This is derived from the fifth commandment, you shall not steal; it also stems from the latter commandments (6-10) as well as the second of the two new commands Jesus gave us:

“Which commandment is the first of all?”
Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

– Mark 12:28-31

The line drawn in the Catechism is that anger is a mortal sin if it “reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor.” So, for example, saying exasperatedly, “I could kill him!” probably doesn’t rise to the level of mortal sin, but being to the point of intentionally wanting someone dead or seriously injured (with or without a verbal cue) is a mortal sin.

Interestingly, the Church includes “or seriously wound” as a mortal sin. I’ve heard on many occasions people say they wouldn’t want so-and-so dead, just, you know, run over by a bus or something. The Catechism goes on to explain that deliberately wishing evil – of any gravity, as no adjectives are used – is contrary to God’s desires and is thus sinful. It appears that the more grave the harm intended, the graver the sin, but any intention of harm is sinful. Before reading this segment of the Catechism, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it; now, I’m thinking I need to do an examination of conscience and perhaps make proper reconciliation before receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.

Summary

Anger is a deadly sin because it triggers other sins. Being angry is not in itself sinful, but wishing any harm is. (The Catechism follows Jesus’s lead in speaking about others, but Jesus loves you, too, so don’t wish any harm on yourself, either.) Deliberately desiring death or serious injury is a mortal sin. In short, be loving even when understanding may be beyond reach; don’t give evil a foothold to crawl in by poisoning yourself with anger.

What do you think? Has your perspective on anger changed at all? How do you keep from being angry?

Further Reading

• The Catholic Exchange offers insight on Recognizing Sinful Anger
• We are called to act, not react, as explained by the good folk at Got Questions: What does the Bible say about anger?

If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering.

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Angelic Jealousy

That’s an interesting premise, isn’t it? Envy is unique to humans – neither animals nor angels possess the capability of envy. Also, the thought that angels would be jealous of humanity seems absurd to me: fighting a constant war waged to stave off evil while waiting for God’s perfect timing on the final battle. The tasks are varied, some fight with swords whereas others bandage warriors and still others keep the spirits of Earthly soldiers up, but everything goes toward the goal of the ultimate fight.

(Quick side bar: angels were given wings, humans were given free will [and the emotions and everything else that accompanies it] instead. We’re different in other ways, but this is the biggest one.)

The first of these two is pretty obvious: if angels can’t receive the Eucharist, they can’t receive Jesus in as full and complete a way as humans can. Catholics in good standing are invited to consume Jesus – body, blood, soul, and divinity – daily. (Daily! We’re required to do so on the Sabbath and other consecrated days, but we’re invited to eat Jesus daily!)

Hope in the Suffering

This level of closeness with God, with the Son of Man – it makes sense that someone who loves God but can’t receive Holy Communion would be jealous. But suffering? Saint-Pope John Paul II both lived serious suffering and wrote about its meaning. Here’s where I “date” myself: I can’t even. I can’t even fathom what he went through let alone figure out how he found purpose in the pain. I’m not there yet; hopefully eventually, but for right now, I’m in progress. He went further, writing that he finds not only purpose in the pain, but also hope.

I often find myself saying, with no trace of melancholy, a prayer recited by priests after the celebration of the Eucharist:
In hora mortis meae voca me, et iube me venire ad te—at the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you.
This is a prayer of Christian hope, which in no way detracts from the joy of the present, while entrusting the future to God’s gracious and loving care.

Saint Pope John Paul II, Letter … to the Elderly

Hope. Hope is peeking through the window of our suffering because, even if we don’t know why we’re enduring it, we know it has to end at some point. But I’m still searching for something more. Thankfully, Saint-Pope JP-II isn’t the only one who speaks about hope in the darkness; Martin Luther King Junior added something to the conversation that strikes me directly.

Reason for the Darkness

Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, I’ve Been to the Mountaintop

This, this I understand. There is reason for the darkness of night. Growing up, one of my fondest memories is of walking in the yard at night, snow piled up on either side of my path, and simply appreciating the stillness and the stars. For a short while, it seemed that I was the only movement anywhere; even just thinking of the experience fills me with peace.

It’s also biologically beneficial for us to sleep in the dark: it not only preserves our circadian rhythm, but it also defends against diabetes, depression, and cancer. So many benefits from sleeping in darkness!

We have a natural need for the darkness. In the same way, we have a natural need for metaphorical darkness: how could we find the Light if we weren’t surrounded by darkness? And the farther we get from the Light, the darker it needs to get for us to find the Light.

Think about it: if you walk into a well-lit room at high noon, will you even notice if someone is cradling a lit candle? Contrast this with attending an Easter Vigil Mass: we start in the dark of night, in a dark sanctuary, and just one candle is lit. That one candle is visible from anywhere in the building as well as through the windows to anyone standing outside.

Ahhh! I’m getting tingles just thinking about it!

Summary: Hope -> Humanitas = Invidia Counter

Invidia, or envy, is unjustified wanting of something that belongs to another. Humanitas, or kindness and gratitude, counters envy because it calls on us to recognize the inherent dignity of people and act accordingly. Hope inspires us to look for reasons to be grateful; we have our eyes on the prize, and we know that having come so far, we’re that much closer to the goal. Thus, hope helps us with gratitude, which helps us with kindness. Each of these things, severally and together, fight against envy because who has time to be jealous when you’re counting your blessings?

What do you think? What keeps you hopeful, grateful, and kind? Leave me your tips in the comments!

Concentrate on counting your blessings and you’ll have little time to count anything else.

Woodrow Kroll

Song of the Day: Run Devil Run by Crowder

This song has been described as caffeine for your ears. It’s one of my favorites, especially when I need to re-energize my gratitude machine.

Further Reading:

• An amazing person uses Twitter to share the joy of puppies. This is potentially the cutest of the bunch.
• What does Bob Dylan have to do with the Eucharist? This excellent article explains one person’s journey with the real presence of Jesus at Holy Communion: The Eucharist Really Is Jesus
• Saint Pope John Paul II wrote the Salvici Doloris (literally, “Saving Suffering“)

Hope [is] a combination of the desire for something and expectation of receiving it, the virtue is hoping for Divine union and so eternal happiness… hope is an act of the will.

Wikipedia

Hope is future-focused, looking forward to a positive outcome. Maybe we hope to do well in an interview or on a test, to meet with friends at our favorite hangout spot this weekend, to have time for a nap, or simply that it won’t snow today.

Wikipedia appears to attribute confidence in the desired result, so I dug into “expectation.” The check on my understanding of the term was warranted because the belief “may or may not be realistic.” Perfect; I was muddled in the middle but knew enough to check myself. (Reminds me of calculus.)

To hope is to recognize possibility.

Commander William Riker, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Quit the Snow Talk! (*Peeks Out Window.* Not Yet!)

Okay then. What are you hoping for?

Are you a sports fan longing for your team to take home a trophy? Are you excited about a potential new gig or an annual bonus? Have you discovered something recently and you’re eager to delve into it with the expectation that it will be precisely what you’ve been searching for?

Hoping for Earthly Things Helps in the Long Run

The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1818

We’re called to be hopeful for the Kingdom (with a capital K). Given that it’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus announced how we can hope to enter it, we may be feeling a little worn and weary. There are probably days when we wonder if it’s ever going to happen. (Recently, I’ve started having this prayer discussion which includes a line like, “Not yet, please; I’d like to help somehow before the swords are drawn.”) I’ve also found that I am repeatedly running into a quote I posted yesterday (on the radio, on the lips of friends, randomly popping up into my head): He never said it’d be easy, just that it’d be worth it.

But that doesn’t make it easier on the daily, does it? Here’s a trick that I didn’t realize until it was pointed out – at which point I quickly recognized how true it is: practice makes it easier. We can practice hope in the Kingdom, hope in Jesus, and hope in God’s promises by hoping in things here. It’s like smiling: if you’re stuck in a negative mental space, force a smile until it feels real, then keep smiling until you believe it is real.

It’s a feed-forward loop: the act of smiling “magically” releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin thereby elevating the smiler’s mood and toting with it various health benefits. Feeling happy is easier when we smile – even if we didn’t want to smile in the first place.

Similarly, when we are hopeful about things immediately before us, it’s easier for us to be hopeful overall. This, in turn, increases our “hope” ability, making the more daunting hoping seem more doable.

But What If It Fails?

What if we hope in something that doesn’t come true? It hurts. That’s part of life. Without the pain, we wouldn’t be able to grasp the pleasure because duality is part of our human nature. Part of understanding the “positive” is understanding the “negative.” (And I place these in quotation marks because they may be one or the other in the short run then switch roles when we’re not watching.)

Here’s the flip side: with hope, we dare to strive. In striving, we might succeed. Without hope, we daren’t strive, so we daren’t succeed; there is only a chance of success if we hope.

It is because of hope that you suffer.
It is through hope that you’ll change things.

Maxime Lagacé

The feed-forward loop isn’t just for us, though. When we strive, even if we fail, others will be watching and they will be encouraged to give it a go. By daring to try, we can be the inspiration for someone else, lighting a candle for them to see, to follow, and to ignite their spark.

Short Story of the Day

I played football in high school; since then, it’s simply felt like a feather in my cap: I was the only girl who played on the team, the only one in the entire state at the time. (I earned my varsity letter, too, thank you very much!) While I was in high school, it went both ways: some random people would walk up to shake my hand and tell me how inspirational I was, and other random people would get up in my face about how I was a disgrace to womanhood. Meh. I took the good with the bad, all of it with a grain of salt. If my playing a game helped someone, great! If it makes someone hate me, their loss. Well before my varsity letter, I earned steely skin.

I played for four years. In the beginning (especially while “looking forward to” triple-double practices), it was difficult; I clung to hope that I could do it despite the tough talk of the people around me. I didn’t know what to expect, but I gave it my all – and I did a pretty darn good job. It was a great experience, and I’m glad I did it, but it was mentally grueling to face people who had an opinion – any opinion, positive or negative – on my playing football and being female. Just let me play!

Since graduating, I only think of it during icebreakers (“Tell us one interesting fact about you,”) or if the topic of high school football specifically comes up. It’s a part of me as much as math team, jazz ensemble, and class competition (Penny Drive, anyone?) orchestrating, but no more than anything else that was unique to my high school experience.

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Recently, my family visited with family friends who moved across the continent. One of our friends was a year behind me in school and now teaches martial arts and orchestrates the best tournaments in the region. She’s awesome. (Sidenote: don’t try to mug her; you’ll lose.) While I’m marveling at the cool stuff she’s doing, she looks up at me to tell me that my playing high school football continues to inspire her. Sometimes, when she’s having a rough day, she thinks about what I went through in high school football to help her regain her footing in hope.

Talk about humbling! This (literally and figuratively) kick-butt woman telling me that I inspire her! With something I hardly ever think about!

How about you? Which sparks are you sending off? There are probably a bunch that you don’t even know about! What are you presenting to the world? How are you offering hope to others, sustaining them or even jumping their batteries?

Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:5

Song of the Day: Anchor by Skillet

Wonder what I listen to while researching and writing? Well, today started with online radio. Then I was in and out of the room doing chores when this song came on; I stopped the radio, immediately looked it up, and have been listening to it on repeat since. Check it out – especially if you’re having a rough day. You’re welcome. 😉

Further Reading:

• Great news! I found another online Catechism of the Catholic Church – one without a background that hinders readership. Enjoy!
• CatholiCity offers a simplified (reader-friendly) Catechism. Here’s the section on the theological virtues.
• I discovered an awesome blog covering various issues of interest with a faith perspective. The articles are solid, the writing is excellent, and the author is real. Men, this one’s for you – but ladies can get a lot out of it, too: Catholic Gentleman’s Guide.

Summary

Hope: we’re called to hope in the Kingdom. God gives us plenty of opportunity to practice with things more tangible to our human senses. What have you been hoping on lately? What are you hopeful for in the future? Please let us know in the comments!

Humanitas – kindness, courtesy; humanity, human nature
Kindness – charitable behavior
Courtesy – polite behavior; willingness or generosity in providing something needed

Wiktionary: Humanitas, Kindness, and Courtesy

What is Humanitas?

Humanitas means courtesy, or kindness. Cicero invented the term “to describe a good human.” The attributes of humanitas fall in line with the mos maiorum, the unwritten social code of Rome, by incorporating Greek philanthrôpía (love of humanity) and paideia (holistic education) with benevolentia (benevolence). (<Insert “It’s-all-Greek-to-me” joke here.>) Paideia fits with the other Greek terms because it specifically emphasizes socialization of the educated in addition to the reading-writing-arithmetic curriculum.

Basically, while humanitas was used as a catch-all for desired social behavior, it connotes acting benevolently toward others out of the dignity of personhood. In other words, we as human beings have intrinsic dignity, and we ought to treat each other with the dignity we deserve.

Digression: Kindness Inherent to Human Nature – Language and Science Geek-Out

The jury’s still hotly debating this, but humanitas indicates a oneness between kindness and human nature. By human standards, courtesy seems intricately connected with our humanity. The English language contributes to this unconscious recognition: when something is “cruel, sadistic, or barbaric,” it is inhuman (or inhumane). Some very intelligent people believe people are not fundamentally good because the second law of thermodynamics insists on progression toward chaos. Ancient linguists either pre-emptively attacked this theory or built a mechanism to slow the decline of humanity by building a contrapositive proof into our speech.

Aside: I love language, and I love science, and I love when these two topics come together.

My opinion: entropy is real, but our existence proves it isn’t the strongest force in the universe. If it were, our species would have died out long ago from entropic decline – and that’s assuming organisms would have developed into multi-cellular structures in the first place. The fact that we, complicated organisms with complicated organs performing complicated functions, exist insists chaos does not overwhelm our nature. Thus, humans can be innately good: we are innately good creatures who learn to be lesser as life progresses typically by chasing some goal that diminishes us as we approach it.

Analogy: we come out of the factory as brand new, flawless cars. We drive our perfect little vehicles around, maybe leveling up with new rims and other upgrades. Eventually, regardless of our model, we need to pause for an oil change and other maintenance. This isn’t because the factory messed up; rather, it’s because we’re wearing the vehicle down with proper use. And what’s the point of having a car but letting it rot in a garage to stave off maintenance?

Kindness and Courtesy

Kindness – the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate; a kind act
Courtesy – the showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behaviour towards others; considerate remark or action

Oxford dictionary, Kindness and Courtesy

Regardless of how natural or unnatural kindness and courtesy may be, these are traits virtue calls on us to lean on, particularly when we’re feeling a little downtrodden.

Being kind helps the kind person – often more than it helps the one we are being kind to. Have you ever been in a bad place mentally, be it an awful mood or stuck thinking about the current obstacles in your path, and opted to do something kind for someone else? It does wonders for your mental placement.

Kindness Impacts Life: A Relevant Story

I had a day recently where I felt paralyzed from mounting pressures, expectations, and fears. It’s rare for me to wake up in such a state, but it happened – and on a day I was pre-determined to attend daily Mass. I woke up hours early, tossing and turning in bed well before my alarm, trying to go back to sleep, to ignore the day; I didn’t want anything to do with anyone, and I certainly didn’t feel worthy to attend Mass. (Who am I, anyway, to witness Jesus in His crucifixion and triumph?) But it was nagging at me: I promised to go today, worthy or not. Finally, I crankily (and defeatedly) rolled out of bed, got ready, and went to the chapel with a set plan to keep my eyes on the floor.

There’s a gentleman who holds the door for everyone entering the chapel for Mass. I say thank you and keep on my way, but I always make eye contact as it seems rude to not make eye contact when saying thank you. It was such a simple courtesy that it doesn’t even seem like a kindness, but he took it as a kindness; that felt as though he pulled me up a few rungs on the ladder so I could see out of my hole. I wasn’t out of it, but I could see the path forward.

Jesus never said it would be easy, but He said it would be worth it!
(“The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.“)

Scripture Truth via Twitter referencing
Jesus in Matthew 7:14

This interaction – not his holding the door, but my courteous response to his kindness (and realizing that he noticed I scrounged the energy to look up) – dragged me over the lip of the pit when originally I couldn’t find the wall to even start climbing. It was still a difficult day, but witnessing that I managed decency – as battered, broken, and defeated as I was – gave me a glimpse of hope because it certainly wasn’t me who pulled that off.

If anybody’s wondering how I can know God exists, it’s instances like this: I didn’t have it in me to be decent, but decency came out of me anyway. Jesus acted decently through me when I didn’t have the wherewithal to do it myself. The simple fact that He used me as an instrument, even in a small way… I found it shocking because He used such a degenerate tool to good ends: why didn’t He use a shiny, well-polished one instead?

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9

I am again reminded of Judges 7: Gideon had gathered an army to march against the Midianites (the oppressors of Israel) and God repeatedly sent soldiers home because the army was too strong. (First, 32,000 was too many; then, 10,000 was too many; finally, 300 was just perfect… to defeat 135,000 Midianite soldiers!) God wasn’t interested in smashing the enemy with the greatest numbers because then the people Israel would not have had reason to recognize God’s handiwork.

Likewise, when I’m having a string of great, 32,000-power days, I think it’s all me being awesome, conquering all 135,000 problems on my own. On my good days, why would I think I need help from any external power? When the bad, 300-power days hit, though… Seriously, if I’m even remotely kind, I know in my heart that it’s God working through me because 300-power isn’t enough to bother opening my eyes by myself.

Summary: Humanitas, Kindness, and Courtesy

Humanitas, kindness, and courtesy boil down to treating each other with dignity simply because people inherently have dignity. We should treat others well not because we want to be treated well; rather, we should treat people well because it is right to treat them well.

What do you think of when asked about kindness and courtesy? Did the Romans get it right? What are your thoughts about the dignity of people and how we should treat others? Let us know in the comments!

Invidia – envy; from invidere, “to look against, to look in a hostile manner;” pain experienced at the sight of [another’s] wealth, prestige, or authority
Envy – an emotion which “occurs when a person lacks another’s superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it;” pain at the sight of another’s good fortune.

Wikipedia, Invidia and Envy

What is Invidia? What Constitutes Envy?

Invidia – envy/jealousy/spite/ill will; hate/hatred/dislike; use of words/acts to arouse
Envy – (noun) a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck; (verb) desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable thing belonging to (someone else)

Latdict (Invidia) and Oxford (Envy) dictionaries

Invidia is Latin for envy. Most of us have been envious of someone at some point; whether it be traits or possessions of another person, most of us have wanted that which was not ours and felt resentment over it. Wanting more seems to be a common and natural human trait, and using what someone else has or can do to spark inspiration is a great thing. However, we should take precautions against letting that inspiration and want fester into a wound of resentment.

Wanting more is fine, and being inspired by others is great, but we need to use proper framing – a healthy dose of gratitude for where we are, what we have, and the opportunities before us – to prevent us from falling into bad mental habits such as resentment of others. Without recognizing how well we have it, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to keep up with the Joneses rather than striving toward the greatness we are called to.

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

Judy Garland

Reeling us back in, invidia (envy) is resentment resulting from someone else’s good fortune or the desire to have (or strip them of) their particular good fortune. It’s one of the deadly sins.

But God is Jealous!

Something that strikes me as incredibly frustrating: we are repeatedly warned against envy in the Bible, but God refers to Himself as jealous when issuing the ten commandments of the covenant. I can’t even hide behind semantics: one of the Latin words used shows that His is a different kind of jealousy, but another term used is precisely the word we are warned against in Proverbs. Here:

Noli adorare deum alienum Dominus Zelotes nomen eius Deus est aemulator:
Adore not any strange god. The Lord His name is Jealous, he is a jealous God.

Exodus 34:14 (Vulgate)

From this, we can translate the terms until we figure out which one is associated with “jealousy.” Given that “His name” is a proper noun, it sticks out as the only term capitalized that isn’t Lord or God.

Zelotes – one who is jealous; who loves with jealously (God); who loves with zeal (Ecc)

Latdict dictionary

However, in addition, we also have “aemulator.” This translates to emulator or imitator, but paring it down to its base, we find it means jealous. This is the exact same term used in the warning against envy in Proverbs:

Non aemuletur cor tuum peccatores sed in timore Domini esto tota die:
Let not thy heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

Proverbs 23:17 (Vulgate)

This is difficult for me to wrap my head around because I don’t associate God with any sins – particularly not the deadly sins – so why is the same exact term used in warning to us to not do precisely how God describes Himself? Doesn’t this disturb the senses? I got the feeling there’s already a term paper on this, so I looked around. I’m convinced but not enthralled with the answers I’ve been able to find so far: context.

Justified Jealousy

When God refers to Himself as jealous, He is guarding that which rightly belongs to Him: worship. In contrast, when we refer to the sin of envy, we resent something that (rightly) belongs to another person: fame, fortune, looks, abilities, treatment, stuff, stuff, and other stuff. This world owes us nothing, so wanting for anything is unjust and thus sinful. A couple of Reddit users explain it in their own words:

If I was holy, and worthy of all praise and adoration then it would be permissible for me to be jealous when worship that should be reserved for me was misplaced. However, I am a sinful man, worthy of worship from no one. Therefore, jealousy is sin for me because its an unjustified resentment. With God this is not so. His jealousy is justified as He is actually due our adoration.

JoelKizz

JoelKizz‘s statement is very accurate, but it is also so pointed as to require extrapolation: I don’t expect (or want) anyone to worship me; maybe some want to be worshiped, so they will find it applicable, but I’m not interested in it. Still, this example provides a base to extrapolate from, regardless of what we expect or want. Again, pick your poison: fame, fortune, looks, abilities, treatment, or stuff; it all shakes out the same: if it isn’t rightly ours, we have no right to be jealous of it.

Jealousy is not envy. Jealousy is being protective of what you already possess, which is a good trait. Envy is the resentment caused by desiring what someone else possesses.

Zyracksis

Zyracksis takes the shotgun approach: broader and with less precision – including more friendly fire. I proffer being protective of what you have is not always a good trait, and that there are other nuances the first sentence fails to take into consideration. However, I found this helpful with developing an understanding of the topic and in the context of the full conversation.

Summary: Invidia and Envy

The sin of envy is unjustly wanting something that belongs to another resulting in discontent and resentment. That something could be material (such as a car) or immaterial (such as a position) or anything in between (such as a clothing size – I’m not sure where that fits… Did I mention I enjoy puns?). God is jealous of our time, attention, and worship – but He deserves all of these things, so His jealousy is justified; in contrast, God has given us everything and owes us nothing, so anything we are envious of is unjust.

Putredo ossuum invidia:
Envy is the rottenness of the bones.

Proverbs 14:30 (Vulgate)

Armed with knowledge about what envy is, we’re equiped to look at the virtues that fight against it. (Are you excited? I’m excited.)

What are your thoughts on envy? Do you have insight to add about God’s jealousy? I’m curious to hear it. Please let me know in the comments!

Shifted Perspective: Sin and Virtue

Rabbit Hole

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

Hamlet (Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet)

Generally, we know some actions are generally righteous whereas others are pretty clearly bad. However, nothing in vacuum is good or evil: circumstances make it so.

This is a rabbit hole because we’re great at rationalizing actions – so we can rationalize our way to oblivion. But the crux of the issue isn’t the act itself but rather how that action impacts us – which is a direct result of why we did it. For example, killing is bad, yet the Bible covers several circumstances where God put his stamp of approval on killing: Exodus, the drowning of Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea; Judges, Gideon felling the Midianites; Samuel, David slaying Goliath; and the death which opened our route to salvation, Jesus dying on the cross to show us He defeated death in his resurrection. These deaths were sanctioned by God.

Sin is anything that draws us away from God.

This is so weird to me: I always think of sin as “something wrong” or acting against God’s will. But why is it against God’s will? Some of the “rules” seem arbitrary, even unreasonable. As my obnoxious inner child would whine, whyyyyyyyyyyy?

It doesn’t always make sense because we don’t have all of the information. What happens when we do this, that, or the other thing? What happens to us not only in a physical sense, but in a mental sense? How about psychological? Spiritual?

The reality is that some things look super enticing, but they’ll actually drag us down and disorient us. Of course there are ways to right our course after taking a detour, but the more detours we take, the more difficult it is for us to get back on track. So, a question we need to ask ourselves: do we want to be on track?

When we sin, we are intentionally detouring from God. It’s not necessarily that something is inherently wrong, but instead that it will shift our focus away from God. The more we choose something else over God, the less we know God, and the less likely we are to turn to Him – even if we never turned away, per se, just altered the course here and there. It goes back to storge love – affection for what we know: we have a “warm comfortableness” with the way we’ve always done things, meaning the more we do things our own way, the more likely we are to continue doing so and inso choose ourselves – and the more we do things God’s way, the more likely we are to choose God.

Virtue draws us nearer to God.

Virtues help us to see clearly the long game, the end goal, and enable us to more easily go directly toward it. They guide us by letting us know what’s at stake – the end goal – if we venture off the road. They won’t necessarily let us know what will happen if we go off-roading, just let us know that there is something we’re fighting for and that going off road stacks a card against us.

Just like with sin, the more we choose virtue, the easier it is to choose virtue.

Avaritia and Caritas

Avaritia – avarice, greed
Caritas – altruistic love, charity

Avaritia and caritas aren’t two heroes battling it out to determine the outcome of the universe. These options are on either end of each choice we make, often with a spectrum in the middle. Instead of “deciding” to be greedy or charitable, we often debate with ourselves about which choice is best given a number of factors. If the decision is between paying rent or dropping it in a church collection basket, any decent pastor would want you to pay rent; if you get a bonus, maybe sending some to your favorite charity is in order.

Also noteworthy: cash isn’t the only way to be charitable. Maybe last year you were able to donate money toward cancer research but that isn’t viable now; maybe last year writing a check was the only thing you could do, but now you’ve got the time to volunteer to run at that event, or work the telethon, or research an idea they haven’t had the time to look into. Maybe you can run point on an event to brighten the day of everyone in the ward – patients and attendants alike.

What are your talents? How are you using them?

Affectionate love is typically the winner of the contest between avaritia and caritas. I don’t mean that in a “love conquers all” kind of way, but rather a “habits conquer all” way. Specifically, we are given choices every day; the choices we make today will impact our choices tomorrow. The more we choose one path, the more familiar with it we will be, and the more likely we are to choose a similar path tomorrow. Decide your destiny – with “warm comfortableness.”

Love is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.

Saint Augustine

Happy Friday. :-}