In Jesus we learn the true meaning of friendship. He said: “Greater love has no man than this—that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends . . . No longer do I call you servants . . . I call you friends” (John 15:13-15). Our Lord tells us this in the gospel of today’s Mass.

Jesus is our friend. In him the apostles found their greatest friendship. He was someone who loved them, someone to whom they could speak of their joys and sorrows, someone they could question with complete confidence. They well knew what he meant when he told them: Love one another, even as I have loved you (John 13:34). The sisters of Lazarus can find no better description than that of friendship when asking him to come: your friend is sick (John 11:3), is the message they send him. It is the best argument they can think of.

Jesus sought and encouraged the friendship of all he met on the roads of Palestine. He always made use of conversation in order to get to the bottom of their souls and fill them with love. And apart from his infinite love for all men, he openly showed his friendship with particular people: the Apostles, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Lazarus and his family and others. Nor did he deny the title of friend to Judas himself at the very moment the latter was handing him over to his enemies; he asks Peter after the denials: Do you love me? (John 21:6). Are you my friend? Can I rely on you? And he gives him his Church: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.

C hrist, the risen Christ, is our companion and friend. He is a companion whom we can see only in the shadows —but the fact that he is really there fills our whole life, and makes us yearn to be with him forever (J. Escrivá, Christ is passing by, 116). He, who has par-taken of our life, also wants to share in our burdens: I will give you rest (Matt 11:28), he tells us all. He is the same one who. ardently wishes us to share in his glory for all eternity.

Jesus Christ is the friend who never betrays (cf J. Escrivá, The Way, 8), who, when we go to see him or to speak to him, is always ready to receive us. He awaits us with a welcome that is always the same, even though there may have been forgetfulness or coldness on our part. He always helps, encourages and consoles us.

Friendship with Our Lord, which is born and grows through prayer and worthy reception of the sacraments, helps us to understand better the significance of human friendship. Sacred Scripture describes it as a treasure: a faithful friend is a sturdy protector — we are told by Sirach - he that has found one has found a treasure. There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend; and no scales can measure his excellence (Sir 6:14-15).

The apostles learned the true meaning of friendship from Christ himself. And the Acts of the Apostles show us how St. Paul had many friends, whom he loved dearly. He misses them when they are not there, and he is filled with joy when he gets news of them (cf 2 Cor 2:13). Early Christianity has left us testimonies of great friend ships among our early brethren in the faith.

With permission from Scepter UK. Short excerpts from IN CONVERSATION WITH GOD by Francis Fernandez.

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