“A loyal friend is like a safe shelter; find one, and you have found a treasure. Nothing else is as valuable; there is no way of putting a price on it. A loyal friend is like a medicine that keeps you in good health. Only those who fear the Lord can find such a friend. A person who fears the Lord can make real friendships, because he will treat his friends as he does himself.” Sirach 6:14-17
One powerful channel of the Mercy of God is friendship with another. But friendship can be lived on various levels. Sometimes this bond is based on superficial and unimportant things, and at other times it’s deeply grounded in our Lord. A sign of a deep spiritual friendship is mutual prayer. If you have been blessed with a faith-filled friend, seal and deepen that friendship through a commitment to mutual prayer. Share your life and your needs with each other and commit to praying for those needs. Through the act of mutual prayer you will discover that the Mercy of God is poured forth in each of your lives, and that your mutual bond will be deepened in the Lord. This is a blessing of the Mercy of God as well as a source of its continued outpouring.
We have some very deep and dear friends in Christ. One of the losses we’ve suffered along the road is the separation from these friends. But, in a way we’ve deepened these relationships as we’ve drawn deeper into our relationship with the Trinity. We pray for each of them at every Mass and at every special site we visit. When God comes most apparent in the miraculous things we see, we pray. We’ve met a few along our journey and it is always like we’ve never been apart. This is the fruit of that prayer and of the Lord’s love and grace.
“Today Sister Jolanta asked me to make an agreement with her: she will pray for me, and I am to pray for the girls in her class in Vilnius. As for me, I always pray for our work, but I have resolved to pray for the class in Vilnius for two months, and Sister Jolanta will say three Hail Marys to the Incarnate Word every day for the intention that I might profit from God’s grace. Our friendship has deepened.” Divine Mercy in My Soul #1171
Reflect upon the friendships you have. What is the basis of each friendship? Perhaps each one will be varied. Some will be casual acquaintances, based on a shared interest. Others will be based on some deeper unifying bond. Spend time today especially reflecting upon those friendships that are based on your shared love of God. If you are blessed with one of these friendships, seek to deepen it through shared prayer. Reflect upon that which your friend is in need of the most and commit yourself to praying for this intention. And share your need with your friend. This mutual exchange of prayer will be a powerful source of the Mercy of God.
Lord, I especially thank You this day for my friendships. I offer my friends to You and ask for an abundance of grace to be poured out upon them. Lord, I especially offer this particular need in my friend’s life (identify a need). I thank You for Your unwavering love for each of us, dear Lord, and for Your own perfect gift of friendship in our lives. Jesus, I trust in You.