Dealing with the jealousy of others

Good News Reflection
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
January 22, 2010

Today's Saint: Vincent of Saragossa
Pray for deacons:
http://wordbytes.org/saints/DailyPrayers/VincentSaragossa.htm

Today's Readings:
1 Samuel 24:3-21
Ps 57:2, 3-4, 6, 11
Mark 3:13-19
http://www.usccb.org/nab/012210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_01_22.mp3

Dealing with the jealousy of others

Has anyone ever been jealous of you because of your relationship with God? Perhaps someone thinks Jesus is taking up too much of your time. Perhaps you get criticized for being against abortion or taking some other moral stand, because your persecutors don't want to face the truth while their consciences, deep down, recognize how right you are. Perhaps they feel inferior to you or condemned by your faith.

This is what happened to David. Saul's determination to kill David had sprung up from a seedbed of jealousy that grew out of control because of David's popularity. And still, David never stopped loving him. Such holiness only irritated Saul all the more.

Jealousy makes everything look crooked and warped. If Saul hadn't been jealous, he could have seen David's faithfulness and friendship. He could have benefited from his service for many good years, but instead he pushed him away.

Who's been pushing you away? They're doing this because they feel threatened by you, just as Saul imagined that David was threatening his rightful position as king. Jealousy makes people fearful of us by taking a piece of the truth and blowing it up into something it's not. In David's case, he was indeed God's choice for the second king of Israel, but not by deposing the first king from his throne as Saul suspected.

When we cannot convince others of our good intentions and build up their trust in us, we have to place our trust in God, like David did in today's first reading. We have to love our enemies and do good to them, we have to forgive them for the troubles they cause, and we have to wait on God's perfect timing for our reputation – and maybe our relationship – to be restored. God's plan will never be side-tracked by anyone permanently.

If you find yourself falling prey to your persecutor's distorted view of you, and you start doubting your goodness, remember that Jesus has summoned you like he did the first apostles in the Gospel reading. This great King is on YOUR side. Anyone who is not siding with him has good reason to be jealous of you.

Continue to love your enemies. David was kind to Saul even during the tirades against him, even during the many years of flight, even when he had opportunity to kill Saul and bring an end to the persecutions. Often, we have to separate ourselves from those who would hurt us, as David did, but we must never stop loving them. God will honor us for this, as he did to David, and eventually much good will come from our experiences.

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
This work is NOT in Public Domain and may NOT be copied without permission.
You may print one copy for your own personal use.
For PERMISSION and info on how to copy this reflection for sharing, see:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm

Seeking a past reflection?
Click this button to register for the searchable Archive Library of the Good News Reflections. One week access is free as a special gift to subscribers of these emailed reflections.

WAS THIS FORWARDED TO YOU BY A FRIEND?
To sign up for your own subscription, go to:
http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections


Why do I need you as a partner in my daily ministry?
Please help with a donation, including non-financial support. Good News Ministries affects countless lives around the world, including in countries where people have no Catholic Mass and where Christianity is persecuted. continue...

Join the cause on facebook and help spread the message!

Note: Good News Ministries is a non-profit organization that accepts donations as support for its ministries but does not charge for anything. Catholic Digital Resources™ is Terry Modica's publishing house providing professional writing services; the income from this will eventually support the future growth and projects of Good News Ministries. Please spread the word; tell your DRE, RCIA Director, pastor, etc. about what's available for parishes at Catholic Digital Resources™.

______________________________________________________________
This is the "Good News Reflections - American Edition" mailing list.
MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION:
Change your address
Unsubscribe