Gospel Reading: John 15:15 (KJV)
‘Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’
In this verse, Jesus elevates the relationship with his followers from servants to friends. He shares his knowledge and heart with us, inviting us into a deep and intimate friendship. This passage encourages us to reflect on the significance of being called friends by Jesus and the responsibilities and blessings that come with such a relationship.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, Thank you for the gift of friendship, especially the friendship you offer to me. Help me to be a true friend to others, reflecting your love, kindness, and compassion in all my interactions. Guide me to support and uplift my friends, just as you support and uplift me. May our friendships be rooted in your love, growing stronger with each passing day. Let me be a source of encouragement, understanding, and joy to those I hold dear. Teach me to cherish and nurture these relationships, recognizing them as precious gifts from you. Amen.
Personal Reflection
- Reflect on a friendship that has had a significant impact on your life.
- How can you be a better friend to those around you?
- What qualities do you value most in a friend?
Meditation: Prayer and Gospel
John 15:15 highlights the profound shift in our relationship with Jesus—from servants to friends. This friendship is characterized by openness, mutual understanding, and deep connection. Jesus shares his knowledge and heart with us, inviting us into a relationship built on love and trust.
Jesus calling us friends signifies a closeness that goes beyond mere duty or obligation. It is a relationship where we are known and loved for who we are. This friendship is grounded in honesty, vulnerability, and mutual respect. As friends of Jesus, we are invited to share our lives with him, knowing that he cares deeply about every aspect of our existence.
Reflecting on this verse, we are encouraged to consider the friendships in our own lives. True friendship mirrors the qualities of Jesus’ friendship—selflessness, loyalty, and unconditional love. It is a relationship where we support, uplift, and encourage one another. In times of joy and sorrow, a true friend is present, offering comfort and companionship.
Jesus’ example of friendship sets a high standard for us to follow. It challenges us to be intentional in our relationships, prioritizing the well-being of our friends. This involves active listening, empathy, and acts of kindness. It means being there for our friends in times of need and celebrating their successes with genuine joy.
The friendship Jesus offers also brings a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Knowing that we are friends of Jesus gives us confidence and assurance. It reminds us that we are not alone, that we are valued and cherished. This friendship empowers us to extend the same love and care to others, creating a ripple effect of positivity and connection.
In practical terms, living out Jesus’ friendship involves being proactive in nurturing our relationships. This can include regular communication, spending quality time together, and offering support during challenging times. It also means being willing to forgive and seek reconciliation when conflicts arise.
Being a friend like Jesus also means being an advocate and a source of strength. It involves standing by our friends, encouraging them in their pursuits, and helping them to grow in their faith. This type of friendship fosters a sense of community and belonging, where everyone feels seen, heard, and appreciated.
As we strive to embody Jesus’ friendship, we draw inspiration from his example and his teachings. Practices like prayer, reflection on Scripture, and participation in a faith community help us stay connected to Jesus’ love and guidance. These practices remind us of the importance of friendship and encourage us to cultivate relationships that reflect Jesus’ love.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, Thank you for calling me your friend. Help me to be a faithful and loving friend to others. When I struggle to show kindness or patience, remind me of your example. Fill my heart with your love, and let it overflow to my friends. Guide my words and actions to reflect your friendship in every interaction. May my friendships be a testament to your love and grace. Thank you for the gift of friendship and for the friends you have placed in my life. Amen.
Scripture: Proverbs 17:17 (KJV)
‘A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’
Final Blessing
May the God of love and friendship bless your relationships. May you experience the joy and strength of true friendship, and may your friendships reflect the love of Jesus. Amen.
Saint Thomas Aquinas meditates on Christ’s self-revelation as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). This image, deeply rooted in Scripture, conveys both pastoral care and sacrificial love. It recalls the Old Testament tradition of God as shepherd of Israel (e.g. Ps 23:1; Ez 34:11–16) and the prophetic promise that God would raise up faithful shepherds after His own heart (Jer 3:15) [ … ]
Sometimes, when I read my Bible, I pause in the reading and say to myself: ‘This bit’s real.’ It would be fair to say, I have issues with Mary, because, contrary to what we are taught to say, Mary isn’t my mother. Rather: Mum is. One bit of the Bible-text says this: And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for people were saying, “He is beside himself.” … And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mark 3: 21; 31-35.) Here she comes. She is in considerable distress. I can imagine that. I can relate to that. To save her boy from whatever he’s got himself into this time. And you’re not telling me there isn’t something inside that. Her boy is beside himself. Radical. Radicalized. Radicalizing. A misunderstood word. /ˈradɪk(ə)l/ adjective & noun. 1 Forming the root, basis, or foundation; original, primary. 2a Inherent in the nature of a thing or person; fundamental. b Of action, change, an idea: going to the root or origin; far-reaching, thorough. c Advocating thorough or far-reaching change. d Characterized by departure from tradition; progressive; unorthodox. ‘He has a demon! And he is mad!’ – thus ‘the Jews’. (e.g. John 10: 20.) Come home! It’s all she wants. His family want him back now. But it is an exclusive cult: there is an inside and there is an outside; and on the outside, they are not meant to understand, lest they be converted. He has defined himself as different from anything she was. Only at the end does Jesus say to his Mum – and with savage, bitter irony: ‘Woman, behold your son.’ And then he dies. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. We ask that we might find Mary in our hearts as a Yes! place for Jesus. It is also recommended that we pray to Jesus that we may be further in oneness with Mary. It is self-emptying, such that we only exist insofar as we are responsive to God’s Word. * Last term, and put-out to pasture, the old Archbishop Emeritus came over to stay for a few days and did the odd class with us. He spoke of Yes! as the meaning of Mary’s virginity. And we were not very nice about him. One or two took umbrage. One or two got the hump. In a sense, his Grace, the Arch, basically wanted to move anyone he’d ever known from a high-place – a mountain – received theological ‘truth’ – to an imminent, human plane. Earthing the spiritual. Recalibrating metrics of life’s believability toward a spiritual sense of things. He might have asked the impermissible question: what happened? His Grace described it. God’s love as a cloud. This descended upon Mary – and subsumed her. Within the cloud, Mary capitulated utterly. She became only and purely a response to God’s love. As he spoke, the Arch cradled her. He carried her in his lap – in his hands. His Grace was a consecrated bishop. He was faith. He sat squat, a rounded man, hands cupped and ankles crossed, fingers interlocked, with parted thighs. Rumpled, washed, speckled. A lifetime’s skin… There could be no doubt His Grace spoke through long-term personal relationship with Mary. It was Julian went for him: ‘So are you saying Mary was a Virgin? Or are you not saying Mary was a Virgin?’ Nasty. No, it wasn’t pretty. Julian twisting his silver ring. For a moment, what Julian had said to the Arch simply failed to communicate. No, for a moment, that dumped on the air meant nothing. Then His Grace said: ‘There is a range of possible meanings we may understand in the question of Mary’s virginity. For example, there are understandings of the word virginity entailed in the action of giving birth.’ Julian said: ‘Duh! So had she had sex or hadn’t she?’ Trigger words. No, it wasn’t pretty. On that went for a little while. At length, Julian’s point seemed reluctantly conceded. Then the Arch told us a new story, an additionally human event, the more to baffle us. Controversially, he told us that Mary could not have been Joseph’s first wife, for this would not have been the way of things in the society of that time. His belief was that Joseph must have taken Mary into his household through pity. That would be normal, he said, for Joseph to bring a young, vulnerable girl, who is about to have a baby, within his protection, not meaning to enjoy with her marital relations, but through kindness. ‘And this story of the inn and stable,’ the Archbishop said, ‘it can’t have been like that really. Joseph has travelled with Mary to stay with his family, at home in Bethlehem, and they don’t want Mary in their house, for reasons which I am sure we can understand. It must have been there was considerable resistance to Mary. But Mary gives birth, and who can resist a baby? That’s what happened. It must have been. ‘I’m convinced that must have been how it happened really.’ Later that term, toward the beginning of Advent, we met boys who had been here before, in Valladolid, and now were in regular seminary. They had heard and recited verbatim all the Archbishop had said to them. Their spot-on impressions of each of the fathers were scathing. […]
Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being [ … ]
