Day Eight

Meditation

Envy and pride are as easy to fall into as they are dangerous. They’re so dangerous, in fact, that they are two of what the Church refers to as the seven capital sins. These sins are so-called because they engender other sins and vices. The five other capital sins are avarice, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia. (CCC 1866)

None of us likes to be envious of someone else, but we often are. Usually, we don’t like it when others are envious of us either. None of us truly likes to be prideful, but we often are. And most of us have a really hard time dealing with others who are prideful.

Envy and pride contrive knots that bind us to our own sinfulness and separate us from others. They can even separate us from God, a tiny seed of resentment that can grow into an insurmountable chasm of hatred. Each of these tiny seeds must be recognized, weeded out, and replaced with the gentle virtues of humility and contentment.

Words of Pope Francis

What is the law of the People of God? It is the law of love, love for God and love for neighbor according to the new commandment that the Lord left to us (cf. Jn 13:34). It is a love, however, that is not sterile sentimentality or something vague, but the acknowledgment of God as the one Lord of life and, at the same time, the acceptance of the other as my true brother, overcoming division, rivalry, misunderstanding, selfishness; these two things go together.

… We ask the Lord to make us correctly understand this law of love. How beautiful it is to love one another as true brothers and sisters. How beautiful! Let’s do something today.

Prayer to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots

Our Lady, Undoer of Knots,

You see the knots of envy and pride that tangled me in this sinfulness. I’m too weak to untie this knot on my own; I need your help. Please take these knots from me and untie them so that I can be free from envy and pride and all of their effects and consequences.

So, too, I place into your hands all the people that I envy or who envy me, and all those who are affected by my pridefulness. You know how the pride of others hurts me, and so I place my hurt into your hands also. Pray for me, that I would grow each day in magnanimity, mercy, and love.

Our Lady, Undoer of Knots, please give me the desire to truly forgive and the humility to ask for forgiveness. Free me from my stubborn ways, and let me be free from the stubbornness of others. Envy and pride have caused this knot, now please undo it so that we can live in charity, peace, and freedom.

I also want to unite my prayers with those of Pope Francis, asking that lasting peace may be granted to the world. Amen.

Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be for peace in our hearts, homes, and the world and for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Resolution

Make a concrete resolution to take one step toward peace in your heart today.