THE FAITHFUL FRIEND

Reflection for Friday of the 7^th 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

THE FRUIT OF KNOWLEDGE

Reflection for Tuesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time, Year A.
(Sirach 2:1-11, Ps 37, Mk 9:30-37)

“What were you discussing on the way”, Jesus asked His disciples as they entered the house. A sudden silence echoed in the room. Shame almost caught up with them since their discussion was off track. While Jesus was explaining to them His coming passion and resurrection, their hearts could not relate to such humiliation. “They did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask Him.” Thus, they turned their attention to what they know, which, unfortunately, was the very opposite of what Jesus presented. “For on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest.”

Man had eaten the fruit of knowledge (Gen 3:11); our eyes are wide open. Self-awareness and self-emancipation is the order of the day. We hear people echoing the words of Adam after the fall; I was naked (Gen 3:10), I am…this…I am that…In the face of this, it becomes difficult for man to offload himself into the arms of God, who wants to take absolute control and direct our lives like His little children. We have eaten the fruit of knowledge, and our personhood is gloried in our eyes. The man of knowledge will often not understand why he should willingly submit himself to the humiliation of others! Hence, the disciples could not make sense of what Jesus was saying about willingly accepting suffering and death. This knowledge that knows not humility has caused a lot of harm in our families and society. It breeds selfishness and unhealthy competition.

Nevertheless, on the Cross Jesus becomes for us the real fruit of knowledge, where we pluck from and eat the fruit of eternal life. No more shall our eyes be opened to ourselves alone and to evil. The message of the Cross is power and salvation (cf. 1 Cor 1:17-31). So Jesus sat down and said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Following Jesus implies tracing the path of knowledge He laid for us. That is why the first reading instructs us to consciously set our hearts on God and follow Him with patience. “For gold and silver are tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.” We must shift our gaze from ourselves and transfer it to the person of Jesus as He instructs us each day and along the way. And as we gaze upon Him who was pierced (Jn 19:37), we reap from Him the fruit of the resurrection.

Fr Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
All Saints Catholic Church,
Agip Estate, Port Harcourt.
21/02/2017