How Cain screwed up

In today's First Reading, Cain killed his brother. Why?

He was jealous.

He needn't have been.

Cain made the supreme error of believing that God "loved" Abel more than He loved Cain. Not true. God preferred Abel's offering over Cain's, but, like the good Father He is, that didn't diminish His love for the latter.

Cain made a common mistake...I've been there myself.

Have you?

Have you ever misinterpretted another's superior "looks," (and we can devote an entire post to this silly notion alone!) skills, accomplishments, possessions and the like to mean that this other person was somehow "better" than you? I have. And, having inherited human nature, this mistake has often lead to envy...jealousy...which in turn leads not just to coveting another's gifts, but actually resenting the other for having them in the first place.

And resentment leads to dislike and, if we're not careful, hatred, and hatred leads to murder...if not in fact then certainly in one's heart.

Envy, or jealousy, is for good reason numbered among the major sins. It stems, of course, from Pride -- the grand daddy of all sin.

Pray that you and I don't fall for the "green-eyed monster" which is what Satan dangles before us every chance he gets.

By the way...anybody know where the expression "green-eyed monster" comes from?

Bonus: how 'bout telling us, along as you're at it, why jealousy is considered "green?"

(Hint: same source, two different instances of use that I know of.)

And remember: "...a demon is lurking at the door; his urge is toward you, but you can be his master."