Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Love is the greatest commandment our Lord Jesus Christ gave us! St. Francis de Sales called friendship the most dangerous of all loves. Why? Because while other forms of love can exist without communication or closeness, friendship is entirely built upon them. True friendship means sharing in both the virtues and faults of the one we love.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells His disciples, “I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my father. This I command you: love one another” (John 15:15-17).
Our friendships can be based on shared interests, time spent together, or enduring hardship together. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that the purest form of friendship is founded on mutual charity. Charity is a selfless love, not concerned with personal gain but entirely focused on the good of the other. It is a gift in the greatest sense. St. Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” This is not only the definition of charity but also the foundation of true friendship.
God relates to us in perfect charity, offering us the purest friendship possible. To be His friend means placing Him at the center of our lives, loving Him selflessly, and seeking to obey Him fully. This friendship is not only holy but transformative. It makes us who we are meant to be.
Reflect today on Christ’s invitation to friendship with him. Will you accept?
Reflection by Ezra, seminarian
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections