By Fr. Glenn Jones:
“People spend money they don’t have/
to buy stuff that they don’t need/
to impress people they don’t like.”
This short adage seems quite true—the first two lines maybe the most. We read news articles stating that increasingly more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and that household debt is at all-time highs. Also, that people have more trouble sleeping these days, and that anxiety is also at an all-time high. Hmmm … a correlation there, you think?
Yes, “dress to Impress” is advice often given to those applying for a job, grant, scholarship, etc., but to do so in order to project an attitude of seriousness and ardent desire for that which is hoped to be obtained. Also, when attending some social function, one dresses to the occasion at least to not give offense to the host and to one’s fellow attendees.
But as we all know, the desire to impress others can get out of hand—out of control—rapidly, and end up leaving oneself and/or family with crippling debt in desperate attempt to maintain the façade. Young inexperienced adults are famous for this, often succumbing to the temptations of shiny cars or credit cards—the “No credit needed! Easy monthly payments!” ads. How many of us have witnessed friends and fellow employees maxing out loans and credit cards for nothing more than bragging rights—big houses with little furniture or fancy cars, until payments become too much to sustain, and they shamefacedly are forced to sell or otherwise liquidate?
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”, does wise Polonius teach to his son Laertes in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. And while it is perhaps more difficult in our day to never borrow for car, house, etc., certainly wisdom would dictate that one lives within one’s means—even significantly below one’s means, saving for those inevitable “rainy days” and having some to give to those in need. But, as scripture says: “In the day of prosperity, adversity is forgotten, and in the day of adversity, prosperity is not remembered.” (Sirach 11:25)
Yet, ever-present is the irrational desire to be thought much of. Pride. The lurking demon Envy worms his way into the soul, eating away good sense so as to corrupt the spirit with ever-swelling desire for the prestige that others possess … the longing to be admired. Should we not remember: “I will not pass by the truth; neither will I travel in the company of sickly envy, for envy does not associate with wisdom.” (Wisdom 6:23) Having expensive “stuff” and getting “looks” and attention tends to make us feel (deceptively) as though we ourselves are intrinsically worth correspondingly more, as if real worth is measured by material wealth and not virtue. But, more likely than not, as Mammie wisely observed of Rhett and Scarlett’s pretentions: “You’re just mules in horses’ harness, and you ain’t foolin’ nobody!”
O Christian, do we forget that envy led Cain to slay Abel, brothers to sell their own brother Joseph to slavery, Saul to seek the death of David, David to murder Bathsheba’s husband Uriah? That envy led the authorities to wrongly accuse Jesus to result in His unjust condemnation (“…[Pilate] knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.” (Matthew 27:18)) Should we not, then, flee envy as we would a poisonous serpent, for its bite, too, is deadly? For “God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it.” (Wisdom 2:23-24), and thus we are wise to remember Paul’s observation: “…the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would.” (Galatians 5:17) And do we not marvel of the humility of God to become one of His own creatures and be born in a stable … to work and sweat, hunger and thirst … bleed and die ignominiously and most undeservingly a criminal’s agonizing death? Will WE demand to be exalted?
Envy can only be defeated by humility and simplicity, exemplified to perfection by Christ Himself—to know, as is often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, that “What we are in the eyes of God is what we are, and nothing more.” A humble, truthful mien is better than pretentious arrogance, liberal beneficence so much better than miserly selfishness. We Christians certainly are taught such, even if we live it (very) imperfectly, for scriptures teach constantly the virtue of helping the poor and the needy, and the vice of arrogance, braggadocio envy and heartless selfishness; thus the oft-repeated urging to assist the destitute, orphans and widows.
Even instinctively we know that the more we give of ourselves, the greater the virtue— “instinctive” because we have the spiritual imprint of the Creator—He who IS love, charity, justice and all virtue and goodness. A young musician may never achieve the skill of Mozart or Beethoven, but they are his examples nonetheless to ever strive to improve. Likewise, we obviously can never match God in goodness, generosity, humility and love. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to do so.
Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.
