7th Week in Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - "Do not complain about one another"

 Our spiritual director in seminary, Fr. John Loya, always used to say that we must avoid the ABCs: arguing, blaming, and complaining. ABC. Whether it’s with family, strangers, fellow seminarians, or parishioners, avoid the ABCs, arguing, blaming, and complaining.

St. James, in our first reading, gives a similar teaching: “Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another.”

It is acceptable to grieve over the difficulties of life, and to cry to God over the injustices we suffer. There is an entire book of the Old Testament, the book of Lamentations, which consists of anguished cries over the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians. Many of Psalms consist of lamentation. To bring ones miseries, ones trials and tribulations to God, can be a holy thing. We should bring to God our concerns, for the people of Ukraine, for example, our concerns for innocent life, and peace, and the salvation of fallen away Catholics.

But there is a form of complaining which is sinful. In the book of Numbers, the complaining of the Israelites in the desert displeased the Lord. Numbers 11 says, “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled”.

There is a difference between bringing ones anguish and concern to the Lord and the sort of distrustful complaining the Israelites were manifesting. The Israelites murmured against God himself, his plans, claiming some defect in God’s providence. They hardened their hearts toward God and complained, not because his care was defective, but because his care was not exactly what they wanted. God often gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want. This form of sinful complaining is a sin against faith and trust in God’s providence.

St. James, this morning, condemns, complaining, not so much about God’s plans and God’s ways, but about our neighbors.

St. James is realistic about the problems Christians face. Due to our many faults, we often get under each other’s skins. We irritate each other. We fail each other. We don’t live up to each other’s expectations. And so we are tempted to sinful complaining. 

And St. James, this morning, is saying, “stop it.” “Do not complain,” rather, endure the faults of others with persevering patience. “Do everything without complaining or arguing” says St. Paul to the Philippians. 

Both James and Paul are in agreement, that sinful complaining is a form of unholy discord. Complaining introduces bitterness into otherwise sweet conversations. It the sign of an impatient, even a narcissistic heart. Complaining can easily become such a vice that some people’s entire personalities become warped by their constant complaining. “Complaining damages the heart,” Pope Francis said, a few years ago.   

Complaining is not a fruit of the Spirit. In fact, it is detrimental to the peace, joy, and patience that come from the Spirit. It is a poison, an acid, that erodes the bonds of unity and charity. It undermines the work of the Church.

As Christians, we must bridle our tongues, guard our tongues from such evils, and use our tongues, to speak the good things men need to hear, the call to holiness through Christian discipleship, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That Christians may have the grace to love one another with patience, kindness, gentleness, and mercy.

In the recent words of Bishop Malesic, for “an immediate end to the hostilities, for a restoration of peace and for the safety of all Ukrainian citizens…[and] for the Ukrainian community in Northeast Ohio, that their friends and family members in their beloved homeland be kept out of harm’s way.”

For healing for all those suffering disease, especially diseases without known cures, and all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may graciously grant them relief.

For the dead, for all of the souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Holy mass is offered. 

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you are the source of all goodness, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith, we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

Monday - 18th Week of OT 2017 - Alternatives to complaining

In the book of Exodus we read of the great works that God accomplished to free the Jews from slavery in Egypt and deliver them to the promised land, the land “flowing with milk and honey”
The trek from Egypt to Israel, which should have lasted maybe several months, took the Jews 40 years of desert wandering. Why were the Jews condemned to the desert? The desert was to be a place of purification. It was quickly evident that the Jews were not quite ready for paradise: disobedience and unbelief filled their hearts. And in order to be the people God had chosen them to be, purification was in order.

We heard today the complaint of the Israelites. They claimed they had it better in Egypt. They preferred well-fed slavery to the struggle of freedom.

This is the story of every baptized Christian who falls back into sin. In baptism, we are freed from the slavery to the devil, the flesh, and the world. But sometimes we hear and feel those old temptations calling—temptations to fall back to the comfortable, to just give in to the urgings of the flesh, the easy road, to forsake struggle for slavery.

St. Paul wrote to the Galatians: “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery...You were called for freedom…Do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love."

A lesson we can learn from the Jews’ desert wanderings, is that perhaps complaining is a quick road to disobedience. We start to the focus on the negative, the pleasures of the old sinful ways, and soon we are living back under slavery.

To combat that incessant urge to complain when things aren’t going our way, or to forsake the way of Christ in the midst of trial: we should certainly think before we speak, think before we act; we should seek to see our trial from God’s point of view, perhaps contemplate the lessons God wishes to teach us by allowing us to undergo our trials, and to remember that there is no spiritual growth without suffering; no pain, no spiritual gain.

The martyrs, like Pope St. Sixtus and his companions, whom we honor today, remind us that the way of Christ, making our way on this earthly pilgrimage to the heavenly promised land, requires perseverance, fortitude in resisting temptation, and surrender to the providence of God.

May we live in the freedom of Christ, the freedom of the saints and martyrs, that we may safely reach our heavenly homeland and become the chosen people God made us to be, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians experiencing trials of any kind, may know the grace of perseverance and faithfulness.

For Bishop Nelson Perez, the next shepherd of our diocese; that the Holy Spirit will empower his diocesan leadership with grace, wisdom, and faith.

That our young people on summer vacation may remain close to Jesus through prayer, attendance at Holy Mass with their families, repentance through Sacramental Confession, and faithfulness to all the teachings of Christ. We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and afflicted, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, for victims of natural disaster, war, violence, and terrorism, for the mentally ill, those with addictions, and the imprisoned, for the comfort of the dying and the consolation of their families. We pray to the Lord.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. We pray.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.