531. What is required and what is forbidden by the tenth commandment? (part 3 continuation)

531. What is required and what is forbidden by the tenth commandment? (part 3 continuation)       

(Comp 531 repetition) This commandment, which completes the preceding commandment, requires an interior attitude of respect for the property of others and forbids greed, unbridled covetousness for the goods of others, and envy which is the sadness one experiences at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself.

“In brief”

(CCC 2553) Envy is sadness at the sight of another's goods and the immoderate desire to have them for oneself. It is a capital sin.    

To deepen and explain

(CCC 2538) The tenth commandment requires that envy be banished from the human heart. When the prophet Nathan wanted to spur King David to repentance, he told him the story about the poor man who had only one ewe lamb that he treated like his own daughter and the rich man who, despite the great number of his flocks, envied the poor man and ended by stealing his lamb (Cf. 2 Sam 12:14). Envy can lead to the worst crimes (Cf. Gen 4:3-7; 1 Kings 21:1-29). "Through the devil's envy death entered the world" (Wis 2:24): We fight one another, and envy arms us against one another.... If everyone strives to unsettle the Body of Christ, where shall we end up? We are engaged in making Christ's Body a corpse.... We declare ourselves members of one and the same organism, yet we devour one another like beasts (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in 2 Cor.  27, 3-4: PG 61, 588). (CCC 2539) Envy is a capital sin. It refers to the sadness at the sight of another's goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly. When it wishes grave harm to a neighbor it is a mortal sin: St. Augustine saw envy as "the diabolical sin" (Cf. St. Augustine, De catechizandis rudibus 4, 8 PL 40, 315-316). "From envy are born hatred, detraction, calumny, joy caused by the misfortune of a neighbor, and displeasure caused by his prosperity" (St. Gregory the Great Moralia in Job 31, 45: PL 76, 621).    

Reflection

(CCC 2540) Envy represents a form of sadness and therefore a refusal of charity; the baptized person should struggle against it by exercising good will. Envy often comes from pride; the baptized person should train himself to live in humility: Would you like to see God glorified by you? Then rejoice in your brother's progress and you will immediately give glory to God. Because his servant could conquer envy by rejoicing in the merits of others, God will be praised (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in Rom. 71, 5: PG 60, 448). [END]   

(Next question: What does Jesus call for in poverty of spirit?)