A hard-working parish priest, after a lifetime of ministry, died and went to heaven.  When he got there he was assigned an attractive two bedroom house to serve as his heavenly abode.  He was rather pleased with his house until he took a walk around the neighborhood and ran into a parishioner who had been a cab driver and now was living in a mansion with a swimming pool and tennis courts.  The priest went directly to St. Peter to complain.  He said, “I’ve worked my whole life long serving God’s people.  Now this parishioner of mine is a very good person, but he was a cab driver!  Why is he living in so much bigger a house than I am?”  St. Peter said, “Here’s how it goes.  When you preached, people slept.  But when he drove, people prayed.”

Why are we jealous of other's good fortune? Because we think we are better than another or are more deserving than the other? What is the root of jealousy? Not accepting ourselves as we are and not rejoicing with another? If we would work more on ourselves than on comparing ourselves with others, maybe we would be appreciative of all the good things we have. Count your many blessings not your lacks. Be grateful to God for all your blessings and for all other's blessings. Jealousy leads to other sins. Gratitude to other blessings.