The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
I’ll just come out and say it: I have always struggled with envy and comparison. It feels good to even admit this externally, albeit to strangers on the internet. When I was young, I struggled to celebrate the successes of others, specifically the ones closest to me.
This continued into my high school, college, and my professional career. Instead of celebrating others, my knee-jerk reaction is to jump on the opportunity to tear down that person’s merit. I find flaws in the triumphs and recognition of people I follow on social media. I doubt someone’s intentions on a team at work. Almost as if, “Why would God choose to use them instead of me?”
When reading today’s Gospel, I couldn't help but notice the constant attempts to doubt and tear down the miracle Jesus performed on the blind man. His neighbors doubted it was even the same man! The Pharisees attempted to de-legitimize the holiness of Jesus, and eventually they threw the man out — most likely out of jealousy and fear.
It’s all too easy to allow envy to impact our feelings towards the success of others. Whether it’s a friend hearing back from their dream job, or someone on social media getting loads of followers — I know that I fall into this trap of jealousy. And now more than ever, we should be celebrating the work of Jesus in and through His Church. We should be affirming those who share miraculous stories of metanoia and encouraging people’s triumphs.
Let's ask the question: what if we celebrated the miraculous work of Jesus in the lives of others in the same way we want others to celebrate our success? I encourage you to join me this Lent in praying the Litany of Humility. I believe that if we gave ourselves to Christ through this prayer, we could change the world.
Blake Matson is a creative and dreamer living in New York City. He is passionate about telling stories, both in person and online, and loves to sit and dream with people. You can view more of his work on his website and social media.