Dec. 23, 2014 Tuesday: 4th Week of Advent B
They rejoiced with her. (Luke 1:58)
Let’s talk about envy. An odd subject for two days before Christmas? Maybe not. Holidays provide many opportunities for comparisons that can give rise to envy. (I wish someone had given me that nice gift. Why can’t my family be as happy as theirs?) If we read today’s Gospel with envy in mind, we’ll see how to resist this deadly disease of the spirit.
Joy and gratitude—both powerful antidotes to envy—seem to be hallmarks of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s family. But don’t these new parents have every reason to rejoice over the unexpected gift of their special son? Wouldn’t anyone in their place bless the Lord? Well, envy is sneaky. It’s always looking to poison happiness by injecting discontent. Say you’ve received something good: a promotion, a new car, a high test score, or even a spiritual gift. You’re pleased—until you notice someone who has received something that looks even better. If you nurture your pangs of sadness and resentment over their good fortune, envy enters in.
But this didn’t happen with John the Baptist’s parents. In fact, they showed the opposite reaction. Elizabeth set the tone in her earlier greeting to Mary. Instead of feeling miffed that her own child would not be as important as Mary’s, she exuberantly honored her young relative as “most blessed … among women” and “mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:42, 43). Zechariah seconds his wife’s sentiments. Emerging from his months of silence, he foresees John’s lesser role as herald and blesses God for it (1:64, 76). Even Elizabeth’s “neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her” (1:58). Years later, John himself will stand out for his humility, as he too refuses to grasp at roles that are not his. Jesus “must increase; I must decrease,” he says, with no trace of envy’s sadness and self-pity (John 3:30).
“Would you like to see God glorified by you?” wrote St. John Chrysostom. Then imitate Zechariah and his family and learn to rejoice with those who rejoice. “Rejoice in the progress of your brothers and sisters. Because you, his servant, could conquer envy by rejoicing in the merits of others, God will be praised.”
“I rejoice in you, Lord, and in your loving plan for me and all your children.”
Word Among Us
Daily Scripture Meditation
www.wau.org
Let’s talk about envy. An odd subject for two days before Christmas? Maybe not. Holidays provide many opportunities for comparisons that can give rise to envy. (I wish someone had given me that nice gift. Why can’t my family be as happy as theirs?) If we read today’s Gospel with envy in mind, we’ll see how to resist this deadly disease of the spirit.
Joy and gratitude—both powerful antidotes to envy—seem to be hallmarks of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s family. But don’t these new parents have every reason to rejoice over the unexpected gift of their special son? Wouldn’t anyone in their place bless the Lord? Well, envy is sneaky. It’s always looking to poison happiness by injecting discontent. Say you’ve received something good: a promotion, a new car, a high test score, or even a spiritual gift. You’re pleased—until you notice someone who has received something that looks even better. If you nurture your pangs of sadness and resentment over their good fortune, envy enters in.
But this didn’t happen with John the Baptist’s parents. In fact, they showed the opposite reaction. Elizabeth set the tone in her earlier greeting to Mary. Instead of feeling miffed that her own child would not be as important as Mary’s, she exuberantly honored her young relative as “most blessed … among women” and “mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:42, 43). Zechariah seconds his wife’s sentiments. Emerging from his months of silence, he foresees John’s lesser role as herald and blesses God for it (1:64, 76). Even Elizabeth’s “neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her” (1:58). Years later, John himself will stand out for his humility, as he too refuses to grasp at roles that are not his. Jesus “must increase; I must decrease,” he says, with no trace of envy’s sadness and self-pity (John 3:30).
“Would you like to see God glorified by you?” wrote St. John Chrysostom. Then imitate Zechariah and his family and learn to rejoice with those who rejoice. “Rejoice in the progress of your brothers and sisters. Because you, his servant, could conquer envy by rejoicing in the merits of others, God will be praised.”
“I rejoice in you, Lord, and in your loving plan for me and all your children.”
Word Among Us
Daily Scripture Meditation
www.wau.org
