March 5, 2010
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
By Melanie Rigney
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic. When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him. (Genesis 37:3-4)
The king sent and released (Joseph), the ruler of the peoples set him free. He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions. (Psalms 105:20-21)
(Jesus told the parable of the vineyard and asked the chief priests and elders) “What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes’?” (Matthew 21: 40-42)
Piety
Lord, You have given me so much, far more than I could have ever hoped for. Please help me to recognize and use these gifts to show others the way to Your kingdom.
Study
Envy. Small wonder it’s one of the seven deadly sins.
An article at Catholic Online (http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/story.php?id=32915) calls envy “the most joyless of the seven deadly sins,” and small wonder. It eats us up inside, causing us to deny or denigrate the ways in which we have been blessed. It moves us to covet what others have that we lack, whether it’s a tunic, a vineyard, a spouse, a job, or a car.
“At its best, envy remains a hidden pool of ingratitude and resentment, secretly applauding the downfall and sorrow of others,” the article states.
Think about the times you’ve quietly rejoiced when someone you regard as Mr. or Ms. Perfect failed in some way. Maybe, like Joseph’s brothers when they sold him to the Ishmaelites, you felt good for a while. Eventually, that feeling passes and the hollowness returns. It ends only when we learn to appreciate our own gifts.
Maybe Abraham did love the child of his old age better than Joseph’s older brothers. But God didn’t. Maybe the elders and priests did think killing the murderous, envious tenants was the only solution. But God didn’t. In an allusion to his own situation, Jesus cited Scripture: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.”
Like that stone, we are all wonderful in God’s eyes, whether we write a best seller, win an Academy award, are named Mother or Father of the Year, or are honored in some other public or private way. It’s really pretty simple. God calls on us to make full use of the gifts we’ve received—and celebrate and honor the ones He’s bestowed on others. Leave the envy in the gutter where it belongs.
Action
Did you know God’s especially fond of you? Whether that’s your favorite part of The Shack or something else about the book resonated with you, join the Arlington Cursillo discussion of The Shack on Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-noon at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 3304 Glen Carlyn Road in Falls Church. Father Tuck Grinnell will lead the dialogue. There’s no fee. Bring along a friend! And, if you’re interested in serving on a Cursillo team, stick around after the book discussion for a workshop led by Joan Brown and Pete Roth. For more information, check out www.arlingtoncursillo.org. See you there!
