
Most Catholics can name the seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lust. But do we really know them? More importantly, do we know how to resist them?
The capital sins
The deadly sins are more accurately called the capital sins because they are the “head” (Latin: capitalis) and root of all the other sins. They are deadly not necessarily because they are worse than other sins, but because they lead to them. For example, murder is certainly a gravely evil sin, though it is wrath that we number among the capital sins, for wrath could lead to numerous evils, including murder.
The order of the sins also plays a role in understanding these vices. Pride is always listed as the first of the deadly sins. It is the original sin of our first parents, the irrevocable sin of the demons, the sin that directly opposes the first and greatest commandment: You shall love the Lord your God.
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Envy comes second in lists of capital vices, for it flows from the first sin by directly opposing the second commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Despite being the second deadliest sin, envy certainly is not given the same level of attention as pride. I suspect a big reason that might be is because of a common misunderstanding of what envy is, and thus a misunderstanding of its presence in our lives. I certainly did not understand what this deadly sin really was until a few years ago.
The second deadliest sin
For most of my life, I thought envy was synonymous with jealousy. I believed being envious of others meant wanting what they had. A few years ago, I picked up “Introduction to the Spiritual Life,” a wonderful book on prayer that also explores the seven deadly sins. This helped me realize the real gravity of envy and its presence in my life.
St. Thomas Aquinas defines the vice of envy as “sorrow for another’s good.” I remember having a deep sense of recognition when I first encountered this definition.
Those times when I’ve heard or seen the good news of others — the public commendation of an associate, a friend’s financial success — and I’ve felt sadness or anger, that is envy. It is a slight yet important distinction between jealousy and envy. The jealous man looks at the goods of another and thinks, “I want that for myself” whereas the envious man thinks, “I don’t want you to have that.”
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Since envy is a capital sin, it also leads to other sins. That is why, the Catechism explains, St. Augustine called envy “the diabolical sin,” for it leads to many other sins such as hatred, gossip, and joy at the misfortune of another.
Since envy means sorrow for another’s good, this capital vice naturally produces the reverse: joy at another’s sufferings. Envy leads us to the secret pleasure we feel when someone fails at a task we could not do, or when we bask in some gossip about another’s shortcomings.
Envy is a sinister inversion of St. Paul’s instructions: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). I have seen this biblical inversion in my own life, in times when I’ve heard a friend or family member share some good news and I’ve thought to myself sarcastically, that must be nice. When I ought to rejoice for the good of another, I have often been bitter, thinking only of myself.
Two remedies for envy
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in studying the seven deadly sins is that particular virtues can help us combat these vices, two of which I have found to be very helpful in my own life.
1. Gratitude
Perhaps the most powerful antidote to envy, gratitude helps us focus on what God has already blessed us with, instead of looking at what others have. If, through prayer and meditation, our minds are focused on the goods God has bestowed on us, we will be unable to harbor sorrow for the good of another. A grateful heart leaves no room for envy and in appreciating our blessings, we are better able to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and weep with those who are weeping. I have made it a habitual part of my prayer to thank God for his many blessings — my family, my faith, my home, and so many other undeserved gifts that he has given me. This habit of gratitude has been an incredible antidote to envy, especially in times of temptation.
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2. Trust
One of the chief causes of envy is fear that we do not have what we need or deserve. We envy the goods of others because we think they properly belong to us. When we grow our trust in God, we worry less about what we think we deserve as we turn to God’s providence, since ultimately he knows best what we need. I try my best to begin each day with a morning offering, surrendering my day, my work, and all that might happen to the Lord. By entrusting my day to him, I can confidently depend on God to provide for my every need.
Growing in trust is also much easier when we recognize and are grateful for how God has already provided for us; it gives us a greater ability to trust that the Lord will continue to provide as he always does. We ought to always have the refrain, Jesus, I Trust in You upon our lips and hearts.
When situations arise where I am tempted to envy the good of others, I find that I am best able to resist temptation by recalling the ways that God has blessed me beyond my deserving and making an act of trust, knowing that he will continue to give me all that I need, and more. In the end, there is no room for envy in a grateful and trusting heart.