Seventh Friday of Ordinary Time

A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; for he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself.

There are many types of false friends. There are friends who only stay with us as long as we fit into their plans or further their goals. There are friends who become our enemies for selfish reasons. There are fair-weather friends who flee at the first sign of trouble. These are not the types of friends we want in our lives. They pressure us to do things we should not do. They betray us. They abandon us in our times of need. It is only the faithful friend who will support, forgive, and shelter us no matter what comes our way. They give us the greatest treasure there is... their love. And in return, we should be their faithful friend, their shelter in the storms of life, and their life-saving remedy. True friendships are forever. They will last, like God’s Love lasts, because they emulate the love God the Father has for His Son... the love that is alive in the Holy Spirit, who is alive in us.

How can we get rid of the false friends in our lives? What can we do to discern good from bad friends? How can we become faithful friends to others?

O Lord, make us and our friends faithful to each other.

Amen.