“One evening when [Frassati and his friends] had been to a play by Gioacchino Forzano, Il Conte di Brechard, Pier Giorgio and his friends gathered informally as the Sinister Ones Society. “They specialized in cracking jokes against their “co-citizens.” Their ‘exploits’ often ended with a sack in someone’s bed, a little donkey sent to an unstudious member, ranting letters and hoaxes, but all of it carried out with pure Christian feelings that helped to create brotherhood. The members, however, followed no rules and attended no set meetings. Everything was improvised. The important thing was to be together as much as possible under the great ensign of faith.” (Man of the Beatitudes)
The important thing was to be together as much as possible under the great ensign of faith. Last week I was speaking to a Sister who was telling a great story about a group of women in their 60s. The group had been friends for years and in fact one of their dear friends just happened to be a current Archbishop. Sister told the story as she recounted spending time with this group of women and their friend, the Archbishop, casually and jovially chatting in the comforts of one of their living rooms. The Archbishop, who was just a neophyte priest at the time, was present for their children’s births and blessed the babies when they were born. Now many years later they have fostered a friendship that has been cultivated through the years and sustained through the seasons of life. I loved this image of friendship, in the living room, which was sustained over the years. It made me ponder where might we be in forty years.
It made me think of JPII and Mother Teresa's affinity and affection for one another. I love that these pillars of Catholicism recognized the goodness in having each other's support and how they recognized the gift of friendship. They, similar, to Frassati knew the beautiful gifts God gives through friendship. There is something about old friends and there is something about dear friends. Whether you feel blessed by poignant friendships as of yet, is something to consider. Do your friends raise you up or you lower through the roof so that you might be placed front and center for healing? Do they call you to be the best version of yourself? Do you enJOY their company and make time to be together? Are you investing in wholesome friendships with those who help you know Christ better? Are you invested in mutual relationships? CS Lewis marks the Four Types of Loves in his classic masterpiece where he recognizes that foundational to love is to be vulnerable. Let us take courage to vulnerably love one another - not facebook, airbrushed, love but rather real, authentic, strong and weak, unconditional love.
"In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.” (CS Lewis, The Four Loves).
Verso l’alto,
Kathryn Grace
I’d tell you these simple truths
I get by with a little help from my friends
Just because it's one of my favorites
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