From a Catholic perspective, envy is a deadly sin that resents others’ good fortune, poisoning the heart with bitterness and undermining love for God and neighbor.
Envy is sadness or resentment at another’s blessings, wishing them ill instead of rejoicing. It’s a sin that rejects God’s goodness, as seen in Cain’s envy of Abel (CCC 2539).
Envy begrudges others’ good, wanting it taken away, while jealousy guards what one has. Envy is darker, often desiring harm. Jealousy can be neutral or even protective, like God’s jealousy for us (Exodus 20:5). The Church marks envy as more corrosive to love (CCC 2538).
Envy is deadly because it kills charity, turning joy into malice and distancing us from God. It can become mortal sin if it festers into hatred or evil acts. Proverbs 14:30 calls it “rottenness to the bones,” showing its spiritual decay (CCC 1866).
Envy’s roots are in Scripture, like the Tenth Commandment against coveting (Exodus 20:17). The story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:5) shows its murderous fruit. St. Gregory the Great included it among the seven deadly sins for its venom. It reflects a heart rejecting God’s providence. The Church built on this to warn of its subtle danger (CCC 2538).
Envy shows in resenting a coworker’s promotion or scrolling social media with bitterness at others’ success. It’s the quiet wish for a friend’s happiness to fail (CCC 2540).
Envy sours the soul, replacing gratitude with discontent and stifling prayer. It breeds isolation, as we pull away from God and others in resentment. Satan’s envy of God’s glory, tradition holds, sparked his fall—an echo of its power. The Church warns it blinds us to our own blessings. It can fester into despair or spite, darkening faith. Only love and grace can lift its shadow (CCC 2539).
Galatians 5:26 warns, “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Ecclesiastes 4:4 links envy to vain toil. These verses call for contentment over comparison.
Envy appears in bitterness at others’ joy, gossiping to diminish them, or feeling cheated by life. It’s the pang that begrudges instead of blesses. Examination of conscience uncovers it in small, sour thoughts. The Church urges us to spot it and repent (CCC 2540).
Charity and gratitude counter envy, rejoicing in others’ good as God’s gift. The Church teaches these heal the heart’s resentment (CCC 1829).
Yes, envy can be overcome with prayer, grace, and choosing to bless others’ success. Scripture like Philippians 4:11—“I have learned to be content”—guides this shift. Confession purges its poison, renewing joy. The Church suggests thanking God for what we have. Over time, love drowns out envy’s whisper (CCC 2540).