Envy is sixth in a series of Seven Deadly Sins. Their name describes their severity: these are mortal sins.
According to the teachings of the Catholic Church, when a person chooses to commit a mortal sin, they choose to turn their back on God and jeopardize their eternal life in heaven.
“Capital Sins” or “Deadly Sins” lead to breaking one or more of the Ten Commandments, and breaking the Commandments drives people away from God's loving grace.
What Are Mortal Sins?
A mortal sin is an act or thought which makes one turn away from God and turn toward something ungodly instead.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, mortal sin “destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God… (CCC 1855).
Mortal sin erodes the presence of Christ in the sinner’s soul. It brings pain, anguish and suffering to the one who sins and to those around him. Mortal sins jeopardize a soul’s eternal life.
What is Envy?
Envy is the act of resenting the good fortune of others. Similar to jealousy, which is the fear of losing what you already have, envy is about wanting what you don’t have and wanting others to not have what they have. Envy sees the talents, abilities, achievements and good fortune of others as a reason to dislike them.
Two Kinds of Envy
Envy falls into two categories: material and spiritual. Material envy is the act of resenting the tangible possessions of another person: their earthly goods, talents, or their community standing, social status or personal and professional achievements.
Spiritual envy is resenting the spiritual achievements and perceived level of holiness of another person. Material envy says: “I hate them because they have better stuff” and spiritual envy says “I hate them because they have a better soul.”
Why is Envy a Mortal Sin?
Envy is petty and selfish; it says “that’s not right because that’s not mine.” Envy is a mortal sin because it is the direct opposite of love, which rejoices in the blessings of others. You cannot genuinely love someone whom you envy, so envy prevents people from following Jesus commandment to love one another (John 15:12).
Overcome Envy With Love
Love rejoices in the success and good fortune of others. The apostle Paul wrote a great description of love in his letter to the Corinthians:
“Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail” (1 Corinthians 4-7). Practicing love can thwart the sin of envy.
Other Antidotes to Envy: Meekness and Kindness
Meekness (the practice of being humble, gentle, or modest) and kindness are important when overcoming envy. A person who is genuinely modest and humble isn’t threatened by the blessings of others.
A person who is truly kind does not resent others or covet their gifts and goods but instead is happy for their successes and accomplishments. Practice love, meekness and kindness whenever envy tries to rear its ugly head.
Related ReadingReaders might also enjoy reading What Are the Seven Deadly Sins? as well as The Third Deadly Sin - Greed and The First Deadly Sin - Pride.
