envy is leprosy - 18th week Tuesday

Today in our first reading from the book of numbers, we see how jealousy unravels itself even among God’s chosen ones – in Moses, Miriam and Aaron.  Let us have a look into this.

First Miriam and Aaron made it appear that they were complaining about the wife of Moses who was a Cushite and therefore a foreigner.  Amo ini kuno abi ang rason sang away.   But in reality the animosity is not because of the wife of Moses but from the fact that Moses is special and we are not, Moses is nearer to God and we are not as near, Moses is a powerful prophet and we are not as powerful, Moses receives special treatment from God and we are treated ordinarily.  If you notice jealousy does not always show itself as jealousy.  It will always wear masks.  So instead of accepting the fact that we are jealous and envious we mask this by saying - I am not treated fairly, his decisions are all wrong, injustice, (injustice ka to, hisa ka lang naton).  Do you notice that?  So watch out for the sin of jealousy and envy.  They will always mask themselves as worthy causes.

Second, the punishment for Miriam for being envious of his brother Moses was leprosy.  When one becomes a leper one is separated from the community.  Miriam was sent out of the community.  Actually that is exactly what jealousy and envy make of us.  They make us a pariah to one another sometimes without you knowing why.  Ngaa kaayo man ni sa amon sang una, ngaa wala na sia nagapalapit sa akon.  You see jealousy hates the person not because of something the person did but because of who the person is and what he or she has become. Kon may ginbuhat ka nga malain then you can always change it.  But that is not the case with jealousy.  It is how the person looks at you that is the source of the separation, ano pa kabudlay bulngon.  Like leprosy in those times, budlay man bulngon ang kahisa.  Anhon ya na abi kay mas gwapa sia sa imo, mapalaw-ay sia?  Anhon ya na abi kay mas talented sia sa imo?

And lastly Miriam got it wrong when she became envious of Moses.  She was envious of a charism.  Charism is a gift given by God for the service of his people.  It is not a privilege, it is not status, it is not a position I can take advantage of for myself, but it is charism, a gift to be exercised for the sake of others

Sa akon parokya nagkinagamo sila kay ginpang-islan ng mga leaders.  There will only be conflicts when we see charism not as service but privilege.  Some felt bad because they felt gin-agawan sila posisyon.

Today let us pray that we will build each other up rather than put each other down.  Put your gifts always at the service of the community.