Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Yrs 1 and 2 2026
Ordinary Time Homilies • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 viewsJealousy is the opposite of love. David was not jealous of nor angry at Saul, who had tried to kill David out of jealousy. So when Saul was killed in battle, David mourned sincerely at both Israel’s and his own loss. On the other hand, Jesus’ relatives realized that Herod would be jealous of Jesus’ popularity, perhaps hearing that some saw him as Messiah, so crowds around Jesus inspired fear in them. They did love Jesus, so they tried to put him in protective custody. Jesus himself stayed calm for he knew who he was and he humbly entrusted himself to God. That is how St Francis de Sales live and how we should love.
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
Jealousy
Outline
Outline
Jealousy is a dangerous emotion
Jealousy is a dangerous emotion
Basically it focuses on us, our perceived good, and makes us forget love, seeking the good of the other. Thus it is the opposite of God.
It is interesting how this plays out in our readings
David was not jealous nor did he wish evil on an enemy
David was not jealous nor did he wish evil on an enemy
Saul had been jealous. It started with David having more perceived success than he. He could see God was with David and God had departed from him. He was likely demonized. He had tried to kill David on multiple occasions. But David had always responded with humility and mercy.
Now he hears that Saul has died in battle. There is no sense of relief. No sense of “now I will get the kingdom God promised me.” There is just grief: grief for Saul, grief for Jonathan.
David will take steps towards gaining the kingdom, but the first will be honoring those who had given Saul a decent burial and then approaching the elders of his tribe, Judah. Yet is first response is grief.
Jesus’ relatives feared Herod’s jealousy
Jesus’ relatives feared Herod’s jealousy
While Jesus avoid crowds and eventually dispersed those who gathered and instead traveled from town to town, crowds did gather. And this one gathered because he was at home. There were so many people asking for favors that he and his disciples could not find time to eat.
His relatives heard and knew that Herod Agrippa had an intelligence network. Herod feared gatherings like this, for they could be the start of a Messianic uprising. Romans hated stasis. Herod knew Messianic pretenders attracted people that did not recognize him as king. So Jesus relatives, lacking Jesus’ calmness and motivated by fear, want to take him into protective custody. Away from crowds.
Our response should be to seek virtue
Our response should be to seek virtue
That is, of course, something that St. Francis de Sales wrote much about, but, more than that, lived.
Turn from any desire to be someone else or have the possessions or honor or power they have.
Rather gaze on God and particularly on Jesus. He knew who he was and so could push away the temptation to be someone else. When we look at him we will know who we are, who God created us to be, but we will also be humbled and be content with being nothing. And that is the way Jesus was when he ultimately went to the cross. He knew who he was, but was seeking the good of others, leaving all else to his Father.
