The Deadly Sin of Envy: Why It’s Worse Than Hatred & How to Defeat It

About this sermon

What is envy, why is it so spiritually dangerous, and how can a Catholic overcome it? In this powerful traditional Catholic sermon, we examine the deadly sin of envy—a vice that can begin with something as seemingly small as sadness over another person's success, holiness, talents, prosperity, promotion, or good fortune. Unlike hatred, which is saddened by evil, envy is saddened by another person's good. That distinction reveals why the saints and Catholic tradition treat envy with such seriousness. This sermon explains the face, effects, and defeat of envy. We learn how envy can begin as sadness and develop into coldness, anger, detraction, slander, resentment, and even terrible acts against one's neighbor. Sacred Scripture gives sobering examples. Cain envied Abel. Joseph's brothers envied Joseph and sold him into slavery. Saul turned against David. And Sacred Scripture tells us that Our Lord Jesus Christ was delivered up through envy. But recognizing envy is only the beginning. The sermon gives us a practical Catholic strategy for fighting envy with supernatural charity. When tempted to envy another person, do the opposite of what envy demands: Praise them. Rejoice in their good. Promote their good name. Pray for them. Offer Holy Communion for them. Have Mass offered for them. Pray the Rosary for them. Ask God to increase His graces in their soul. Instead of allowing another person's blessings to produce sadness within us, we must learn to rejoice in the good God gives our neighbor. This is the great victory of charity over envy. As the sermon beautifully explains through the example of St. Bernard, charity allows us to rejoice in the virtues and good works of others rather than seeing their accomplishments as something taken away from ourselves. The Christian life is not a competition for God's goodness. We are called to love the brotherhood. May Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Graces and Star of the Sea, obtain for us an increase in supernatural charity so that envy finds no place within our hearts. 00:00 — Love the Brotherhood 00:38 — Why Brotherhood Comes Under Attack 01:08 — Why Envy Is Worse Than Hatred 02:14 — Envy Is Opposed to Charity 02:38 — Angels, Demons & Human Envy 03:20 — The Scriptural Warning Against Envy 04:05 — The Face, Effects & Defeat of Envy 04:29 — The First Sign of Envy: Sadness 05:05 — Cain & Abel: Where Envy Can Lead 05:22 — Envy Over Success, Beauty & Prosperity 05:48 — Charity Rejoices in Our Neighbor's Good 06:05 — When Sadness Is NOT Envy 06:50 — Just Indignation vs. Envy 07:30 — Emulation & Holy Jealousy 08:34 — What Envy Really Looks Like 09:12 — When Envy Becomes Mortal Sin 10:19 — Envy of Spiritual Good 10:36 — St. Thomas Aquinas on Envy 11:25 — The Terrible Effects of Envy 11:34 — Joseph & His Envious Brothers 13:25 — Envy as a Devouring Beast 13:59 — Daniel's Four Beasts & Envy 14:31 — The Winged Lioness 15:08 — The Bear: Slander, Provocation & Detraction 15:32 — The Leopard: Deception & Manipulation 15:56 — The Unnamed Beast 16:31 — Why Envy Needs No Bait 17:11 — Envy Gives Nothing but Sadness 17:29 — “Envy Slayeth the Little” 18:29 — Saul's Envy of David 18:37 — Christ Delivered Up Through Envy 19:01 — Can You Appease an Envious Person? 19:51 — Why Envy Is Spiritually Deadly 20:46 — Envy: “Rottenness of the Bones” 21:27 — How Envy Destroys From Within 21:58 — The Ancient Image of Envy 22:23 — How Do We Defeat Envy? 23:03 — You Must Fight Envy 23:33 — The Warning Sign of Temptation 23:41 — Praise the Person You Envy 23:57 — Pray & Offer Holy Communion for Them 24:14 — The Strategy for Victory Over Envy 24:29 — St. Bernard's Beautiful Example 25:11 — Rejoicing in the Good of Other Catholics 26:06 — Charity: The Sworn Enemy of Envy 26:38 — Banish Envy Through Charity 26:47 — Show Your Love for God Through Your Neighbor 27:26 — The Sweetness & Reward of Charity 27:43 — Prayer to Our Lady for Supernatural Charity 28:10 — Conclusion 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #Catholic #TraditionalCatholic #Catholicism #CatholicSermon #Envy #SevenDeadlySins #DeadlySins #MortalSin #SpiritualWarfare #Cat

Topics

• Repentance