Jealousy?

[franciscanheart]

how do you know when you've crossed the line into jealousy? im not generally a highly scrupulous person but i have been lately... especially concerning this matter. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest Rick777]

use your common sense, I think everyone might have a different line...if that makes sense. For example if you see smeone who just got a new car and yours is really old and you think to yourself I hope they crash, or that car smells of elderberries, your probably in jealousy area.Hope it helps, I think you should talk to a priest even if you suspect you are.

[phatcatholic]

[b]Jealousy[/b]
[url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08326b.htm"]http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08326b.htm[/url]

Jealousy is here taken to be synonymous with envy. It is defined to be a sorrow which one entertains at another's well-being because of a view that one's own excellence is in consequence lessened. Its distinctive malice comes from the opposition it implies to the supreme virtue of charity. The law of love constrains us to rejoice rather than to be distressed at the good fortune of our neighbour. Besides, such an attitude is a direct contradiction of the spirit of solidarity which ought to characterize the human race and, especially, the members of the Christian community. The envious man tortures himself without cause, morbidly holding as he does, the success of another to constitute an evil for himself. The sin, in so far as it defies the great precept of charity, is in general grievous, although on account of the trifling matter involved, as well as because of the lack of deliberation, it is often reputed to be venial. Jealousy is most evil when one repines at another's spiritual good. It is then said to be a sin against the Holy Ghost. It is likewise called a capital sin because of the other vices it begets. Among its progeny St. Thomas ([b][url="http://www.newadvent.org/summa/303600.htm"]II-II:36[/url][/b]) enumerates hatred, detraction, rejoicing over the misfortunes of one's fellow, and whispering. Regret at another's success is not always jealousy. The motive has to be scrutinized. If, for instance, I feel sorrow at the news of another's promotion or rise to wealth, either because I know that he does not deserve his accession of good fortune, or because I have founded reason to fear he will use it to injure me or others, my attitude, provided that there is no excess in my sentiment, is entirely rational. Then, too, it may happen that I do not, properly speaking, begrudge my neighbour his happier codition, but simply am grieved that I have not imitated him. Thus if the subject-matter be praiseworthy, I shall be not jealous but rather laudably emulous.

[franciscanheart]

thanks. this pretty much answers my question.
side note: i love st thomas. st thomas aquinas, pray for us!

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='hugheyforlife' date='Nov 15 2005, 03:04 PM']i love st thomas. st thomas aquinas, pray for us!
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amen

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='phatcatholic' date='Nov 15 2005, 03:05 PM']amen
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Nice new sig...

[phatcatholic]

haha, thanks