SPREADING THE LIGHT holy friendships
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he that has found one has found a treasure.
PIXABAY PHOTO
– Sirach 6:14
Building holy friendships Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT
E Contributor
very person longs for a close friend. We come into the world with an innate desire to be seen, known and loved. The human heart longs to give, to receive and to be understood. We all want to have a safe place to call home where our hearts are cared for, and joy is born, sorrow is mutually carried, the truth is spoken with love and where we can be ourselves. Authentic love is a place of rest, enlightenment and connection, and it brings us beyond ourselves into something greater. While we have many relationships and acquaintances in this life, we can probably count our closest and dearest 22
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FALL 2020
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friends on one hand. When you think of your best friends, what comes to your mind? What do you love about them? How do they love you? A philosophical definition of true friendship is shared goodwill – the mutual seeking of the good for the other. It is a friendship based on virtue, excellence and goodness. It is beholding the other not in what they can give or how useful they are, but in the truth of who they are – as unique, precious and unrepeatable persons. It wants their good, delighting in their person and staying the course in longevity during the ups and downs of life. We all want a love like this, and when we do love like this, we become a sturdy shelter, a true treasure.
M AY T H E Y A L L B E O N E
