Reflection for Friday
of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Sirach 6:5-17, Mk
10:1-12)
The first reading of today gives
a detailed insight into friendship. It is so interesting to read from the
sacred Books such issue that revolves around our daily life—a common experience.
It talks about how to make friends, how we should relate with them and
different kinds of friends that might come our way. In all, a faithful friend
is scarce! Then he goes ahead to describe the qualities of a faithful friend.
How do we find one? “A faithful friend is an elixir of life; and those who fear
the Lord will find him.”
Here is the guiding principle. God
is our ultimate friend. He has made friends with us in Christ Jesus. “I call
you friends because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my
Father (Jn 15:15). A faithful friend is a gift from the Lord; a fruit of our
friendship with Jesus. “Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright,
for as he is, so is his neighbour also.” A faithful friends becomes that person
who communicates to us the righteousness of Jesus. This is the ultimate proof
of friendship. A good friend leads us to Jesus.
Friendship grows and transforms
into family. Here it is institutionalized. Ordinarily, it is taken for granted
that one who is adjudged a spouse already qualifies for a faithful friend. Anything
less would be a disrespect to the institution of marriage. Thus, the family
becomes the zenith of friendship. That is why the question of divorce presented
to Jesus in the Gospel cannot hold. The family is the base and highest point of
faithful friendship. Couples should be best of friends after God. Parents should
be friends with their children, so also among siblings. Thus we learn friendship
from the home. Divorce becomes a serious betrayal of this friendship. It does
no one any good.
Therefore, Jesus answered them, “For
your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of
creation, God made them male and female…” Divorce is the outcome of a hardened
heart—a heart that is not in friendship with God. It is a heart that does not
obey the commandment of God. “You are my friends, if you do what I command you
(Jn 15:14). Such a hardened heart cannot establish faithful friendship, and in
marriage, it would always be asking for divorce. Following the words of Jesus,
we can describe such heart as “adulterous.”
Now we can appreciate the beauty
of friendship. It leads to family, and from the family springs friendship. And
if we follow the principle above, then we are one family with Jesus. No divorce!
Let us therefore, thank God for our friends. And work hard to bring to them the
righteousness of Jesus. We must always remember that the best way to avoid bad
companions is to remain in friendship with Jesus. He is the ultimate faithful
friend.
Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
All Saints Catholic Church,
Agip Estate, Port Harcourt.
24/02/2017
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