Case VII: Envy

Case.—Aegidius, a poor man, is much inclined to sadness at the thought that the rich are favored above his class not only temporally, but even spiritually, since they are better able to give alms and may thus acquire greater merits in this life and have more suffrages offered for them after death.

Questions:

1. Are Aegidius’ dispositions sinful?

2. What should be thought of his opinions? Solution:

1. Envy is a sorrow over the good fortune of our neighbor inasmuch as we consider that it surpasses our own good. Such feeling is of course out of harmony with the law of charity, which bids us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to rejoice at his prosperity. Therefore envy is sinful and, if fully deliberate, a mortal sin. Envy of the spiritual good of another is a most grievous crime, and is numbered as one of the sins against the Holy Ghost.

Quite different from envy is emulation or zeal, which causes us to grieve at our neighbor’s good, not because he possesses it, but because we ourselves are wanting in that good. Such sadness, if its object be moral goodness or righteousness, is virtuous and praiseworthy: “Let us consider one another to provoke unto charity and good works” (Heb., x, 24; cfr. 1 Cor., xiv, 1). But if it be concerned with temporal things only, emulation is or is not sinful according to circumstances.

Temporal possessions may assist a person to love God. It is not wrong, then, to desire such advantages, provided avarice, covetousness and impatience be excluded. As Aegidius is a spiritually minded man, it is not likely that he begrudges his neighbor the favors with which God has blessed him; he merely wishes that he enjoyed certain opportunities for good that others have. Such a wish springs not from envy, but from zeal. If, however, some slight movements of envy are mingled with his anxiety about his soul’s welfare, his inadvertence and ignorance will excuse him from serious fault.

2. For it is not true that riches are usually an advantage in the supernatural order. An abundance of this world’s goods does not generally lead its possessor towards God, but it does make him more responsible before God. The rich are deserving of compassion rather than envy, if we view matters in the light of faith, Hence it is not the rich, but the poor whom our Lord calls blessed. While Aegidius is not able to give liberal alms, there is much that he can do for his neighbor. The widow’s mite was worth more in our Lord’s eyes than the great gifts of the Pharisees. Merit and reward are proportioned to internal charity rather than to the actual relief that is effected.

As to the greater number of Masses that the rich can have offered for the repose of their souls and their speedier liberation from Purgatory, Aegidius should remember: (1) God is the Supreme Master of His creatures, and if it pleases Him to grant to one an easier way to salvation than to another, the latter has no right to complain; for the graces of God are free gifts of His bounty, they are given sufficiently to all, and each one will be judged according to his opportunities and merits. (2) If the rich are enabled to obtain greater suffrages after death, the poor by patiently bearing their difficulties during life have made a satisfaction that acquits the temporal punishment due to sin more quickly than do the sufferings of Purgatory. (3) The sacrifice of the Mass is profitably offered for the dead and its fruits are applied to him for whom it was offered, if there be no obstacle. But the remission of the temporal punishment of sin depends upon the Divine mercy and liberality. Hence it may happen that a great portion of the fruit of Masses and other suffrages that are offered for the soul of one person may be applied to another whose life on earth made him more deserving of mercy. (4) The poor man has more security of salvation and the opportunity for greater merit and a higher reward. These infinitely surpass the advantages of his wealthy neighbor, even though the latter should be liberated sooner from Purgatory.