25 May 2018
Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
James 5 warns us against one of our favorite pastimes: “do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged.” Such complaints often lead nowhere good and easily devolve into gossip, which is one of the greatest obstacles to the holiness that God offers us (see Gaudete et Exultate87). Where it is appropriate and possible, we can seek to make peace with our troublesome brothers and sisters in a Christian way (cf. Mt 18); but in any case we must never forget that, no matter how troublesome this or that person is, Jesus loves them so much that Jesus is not only willing to die for them but also takes up ultimate responsibility for all of their actions. So if you insist on complaining or holding anything against your brother or sister, it is ultimately Jesus whom you are railing against.