As I continue to read through Catherine Doherty’s book, Grace In Every Season, I’m struck by the profound simplicity of her writing. This daily devotional gives her reader all kinds of concrete examples of how to bring Christ into our everyday living.
Let us think a little about friendship. Christ said in a beautiful and heart-warming sentence, “I will not call you servants any more; I will call you friends.” Christ, in many ways, calls us to a friendship with himself! So friendship is a good thing, and God wants our friends to be gentle, joyful and quiet companions for us.
True friendship can easily be defined by analyzing its goal. If you make friends with someone for your own ends, it is a wrong kind of friendship. In fact, it isn’t a friendship at all. It is latching on to someone for your own selfish purposes. For instance, you are lonely and “no one understands you,” so you just want to grip about many things to a particular person.
If, on the other hand, you become friends with a person in order to help each other to God, if you become friends in a mutually give-and-take spirit, then it is a good friendship. If you have something to share mutually a love of painting or nature, for instance it is a wonderful friendship. But remember, be open and always ready and eager to include someone else in your activities as well.
Friendships should be the natural outcome of caritas, of love. Consider each one. Is it “I” centered, selfish? Or is it God-centered and hence unselfish? Good friendships are unselfish and open to others, sharing common interests and all that is good.
If there’s ever been a time to be surrounded by good and faithful friends, I think it’s now. Maybe this post today will remind you of the importance of taking care of your relationships. I bet each of us has someone they should call, just to check in, or possibly to patch things up. Make an effort this weekend to get in touch. We need each other more than ever.
