Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,
either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath,
but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,”
that you may not incur condemnation. JAS 5:9-12
Got to love St. James! He sticks it to us today again. Don’t complain about others, oops already did that few times today. Then, he takes it straight to the top, “that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates”. When we complain about others, we bring the judgment of God upon us. He goes on to tell us that these are opportunities for grace! We have the power to change our mind and have a positive attitude. St. Jose Maria Escriva says, ” Don’t say: ‘That person gets on my nerves.’ Think: ‘That person sanctifies me.’ This is great wisdom as I am with young people all day and have children at home. What great opportunities for grace! St. James goes on to tell us to “Take an example of hardship and patience. Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered”. These difficult daily interactions with others, if we persevere and offer them up, transforms us to be like Christ, blessed, holy. Last, he tells us to be honest by letting our “Yes” mean “Yes” and our “No” mean “No”. Do not spread rumors and enter dialogue with others that is hurtful so, “that you may not incur condemnation”. This is tough. We turn to Christ for help because He is compassionate and merciful to us, we to must be compassionate and merciful to others. We all have faults, so why are we criticizing and judging others. The way to holiness is to recognize these opportunities of grace each time we encounter someone, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, pray, bite our tongue, change our thoughts, and be kind and merciful.
Today’s challenge: Reflect on how often you judge, complain about others, and criticize. Reflect on your own faults or as Matthew Kelly calls them, “our blind spots”. Practice training yourself to see the God and the good in every person especially those who annoy or hurt us the most.
Be a servant, become a saint!
Christian YOLO
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