Sibling rivalries are as old as the Book of Genesis, with Cain killing his brother Abel over who made the best offering and sacrifice to God. The theme is repeated in today’s reading with Joseph almost falling to the same fate because his father, Israel, “loved him best of all his sons.”
Sibling rivalries have continued throughout the ages. Some notable examples, that fortunately were not as violent, include the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, founded over a century ago, which, after a bitter feud, split, with each brother forming his own company, Adidas and Puma. And the Kelloggs, who fought for decades over the future of boxed cereal, as chronicled in The Battling Brothers from Battle Creek.
If asked to explain why sibling rivalry exists, one does not have to scroll very far down the list of the Seven Deadly Sins before Greed and Envy rear their ugly heads.
Sadly, Greed and Envy are very much part of our time and place here on God’s earth. In fact, there are industries that feed off these two sins.
We are constantly bombarded with images of the rich and famous, we even had a TV show aptly named that. And we are pushed, if not bullied, by advertisers and “influencers” into what we should wear, the vehicle we should drive, or where to spend our vacation if we, too, want to be part of the “in crowd.”
So what is the antidote to Greed and Envy? How can we, in our materialistic world, where even the “Joneses” can’t keep up with the “Joneses,” confront these two powerful forces?
Perhaps if we can focus on just one word each day as we pray, we can put Greed and Envy in their place. And that word is Gratitude. To humbly thank God each day for his endless gifts, for our life and salvation, the joy we find in our friends and family, and the world God created for us.
St. Ignatius knew the importance of “Finding God in all things.” In so keeping, we should recognize God’s presence, not just in church, but in our everyday lives, be it at work, in relationships, in times of stress and joy, and in the beautiful world in which we live. By keeping our focus here, we can push Greed and Envy into the far recesses of our minds and live God-focused, not self-focused, lives.
Ah, but like so many thoughts expressed in these Daily Reflections, that may be easier said (written) than done.
So, as we continue on our Lenten journey, let’s remember that being grateful for all that God has given us is so much more than something we feel inside. It is an attitude that we must openly practice and share with those around us. By doing so, we will learn to replace Greed and Envy with a grateful heart, one that thanks God for the people he has placed in our lives, the blessings bestowed upon us, his presence in times of need, and most importantly, our gift of salvation.
Steve Scholer
I came to Creighton to attend law school in 1976 and following 5 years of private practice I started what I thought would be a 4 year job to help Fr. James Hoff, S.J. raise funds for the Campaign for Creighton. Little did I know that the many wonderful people I would soon meet, both here on campus and across the entire country, over the next few years would lead me to stay and continue to support the mission of this University. My wife is a Creighton graduate and our son, Frank, is a Xavier undergraduate and Creighton law graduate. Our daughter, Paige, has both her undergraduate and master’s degree from Creighton.
I do not participate in social media websites so posting my personal interpretation about what the readings mean to me is a novel experience for me. However, being required to put pen to paper forced me to become more reflective about what God is really trying to say to me and this has helped me in my daily prayer life - to slow down and let the Word of God dwell within me instead of racing through the daily devotions.
