“Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: whoever finds one has found a treasure.
Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth. Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; and those who fear the Lord will find them.
Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright, for as they are, so are their neighbours also.” Sirach 6:14-17
The people with whom you surround yourself is pivotal and shows the direction of your heart. Friends who party, carouse and do all those worldly things St. Paul mentions in Galatians 5:18-21 only lead the soul to “not inherit the kingdom of God” – Galatians 5:21.
Those who surround themselves with people who seek first the kingdom of God – Matthew 6:33 – will obtain God.
A friend seeks the sanctification of his friend. He is willing to call out falls and sins, even if it hurts or even jeopardizes that friendship. And, the friend hearing these words may be hurt, but truly sees they are spoken in love.
I have a list of great men (and women) who achieve the standard outlined in Sirach. They have given me a holy envy of their love of prayer, the Rosary, the Bible and service. They have lifted me when I fell and been the light when I walked in the dark night. The greatest of them know who they are but may not realize the impact and debt I owe each of them. I wouldn’t be the man I am without Bob, Stephen, Tom, Mike, and many others.
My best friend on earth had to be my wife. Connie is my confidante and sounding board. Trust me, she has no problem calling out my opportunities. She always is my greatest cheerleader. In the Sacrament of our marriage, our goal is to guide and when necessary, lift the other to Heaven. In the past 4 1/2 years, we’ve been on a retreat of sorts. We’ve shared tremendous experiences and grown closer together with the Trinity. IF I make it to Heaven, besides God’s grace and Divine Mercy, Connie will be a prime reason. In fact, I often praise and thank God that she is His face and Mercy to me.
Do you have friends who lift you up? Men and women who seek to point to Heaven in how they live? I pray you do. Without at least one Sirach friend, the Road of Faith will be much more difficult.