Stop Complaining & Rejoice

It is “Pink Candle” Sunday, more appropriately known as Gaudete Sunday. The Church rejoices as we are more than halfway to Christmas, and we are inching closer to celebrating the occasion when God became one of us.

In today’s second reading from St. James (5:7-10), he tells us, “Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged.”

Christmas is not Easy

We are invited, in this season of joy, to be filled with gratitude for what is. This may prove difficult, as the season likely stirs up some strong emotions, potentially causing us to miss what was and perhaps wishing for different circumstances.

Let’s be honest, it is really hard not to complain, especially when we are hurting. Physical, mental, and emotional pain, when not acknowledged and reconciled, can lead us to acting out of our woundedness. As a result, we may make the present circumstances more difficult, or, we may miss out on the gifts among and within us.

Sometimes, we complain as others disappoint, or even hurt, us. We struggle to understand, and may be quick to judge their actions. St. James is reminding us to shift from complaining to rejoicing, from judgment to empathy. Easier said than done, St. Jimbo. Can we accept what (and who) may fall short of our hopes and expectations?

The stress of buying gifts, preparing meals, and meeting internal and external expectations does not help, leading to even more complaining. This season can be exhausting for even the healthiest among us.

This all distracts us from the gift of this season, and a potential internal and external transformation. Christmas is not just a historical event thousands of years ago, it is a spiritual invitation that invites us to bring God into the world right now.

Last Christmas, I could never have anticipated what the next year would bring. A cancer diagnosis, and 5 months chemotherapy treatments (so far), remind me of my own mortality, and how precious each day really is. Future Christmas seasons are no longer guaranteed, they never were. I am especially grateful for this one, and this comes from someone who starts to count down the days for next Christmas on December 26th.

An Invitation

For the next two weeks, we are invited to shift our perspective, focusing on blessings, not what or who is lacking.

We are invited to look at one another, not with judgment, but with empathy and appreciation.

We are invited to be excessively gentle with others, for we cannot appreciate their own woundedness. We must also be excessively gentle with ourselves. Like a new baby born in a manger, there is a preciousness in the vulnerability of this life we share.

We are invited to thank God for all that was, is, and will be, trusting as Mary and Joseph did when they brought God into our midst.

Let us take the words of St. James seriously. “Do not complain;” rather, rejoice for the multitude of blessings in our lives. If we can do this, this season will be more than a date on the calendar. It will transform our lives.