2022-07-15: Friendship

Scriptural Passage:

"Do not be willing to become an enemy instead of a friend to your neighbor.

For an evil man will inherit reproach and disgrace, as will every sinner who is envious and double-tongued.

You should not extol yourself, like a bull, in the thoughts of your soul, lest perhaps your strength may be cast down through foolishness, which would consume your leaves, and destroy your fruit, and leave you behind like a dry tree in the desert.

For a wicked soul will destroy the one who has it. For it gladly provides enemies to him, and it will lead him to the fate of the impious.

A sweet word multiplies friends and mitigates enemies. And thankful words abound in a good man.

Allow many to be at peace with you, but allow one out of a thousand to be your counselor.

If you would obtain a friend, test him before you accept him, and do not trust him readily.

For there is a friend according to his own time, but he will not remain in the day of tribulation.

And there is a friend who can be turned to animosity. And there is a friend who will reveal hatred and ridicule and insults.

And there is a friend who is a companion at table, but he will not remain in a day of need.

A friend, if he remains steadfast, will be to you as you are to yourself, and he will act with faithfulness among those of your household. If he humbles himself before you and hides himself from your face, you shall have a noble and harmonious friendship.

Distance yourself from your enemies, and pay attention to your friends.

A faithful friend is a strong shelter, and whoever has found one has found a treasure. Nothing is comparable to a faithful friend, and no weight of silver or gold is worth more than the goodness of his fidelity.

A faithful friend is a medicine for life and immortality; and those who fear the Lord will find one. He who fears God will have a similar good friendship, because his friend will be like him." (Sirach 6:1-17)

Patristic Quote:

"The same hope inspired us: the pursuit of learning. This is an ambition especially subject to envy. Yet between us there was no envy. On the contrary, we made capital out of our rivalry. Our rivalry consisted, not in seeking the first place for oneself but in yielding it to the other, for we each looked on the other’s success as his own." - St Gregory, speaking about St Basil

Relation to Diaconate:

• Deaconship is especially subject to envy
  • We may be jealous of someone who knows more hymns than us, or we feel their voice is better than ours, or their tonia is nicer, or they get to stand in the front but I'm in the back, or they get to stand in the back and I'm in the front! Or they served in the altar more than me, or they get asked to hold the microphone more than me, or they get asked to say the Psalm or the responses more than me...
  • All of these are attacks by the devil
• For the deacon to be successful, he must be friends with all of the other deacons

Application:

• At the end of every liturgy, go to all of the deacons your age and younger than you and tell them "Live to pray" and greet them with a holy kiss
  
• When we play together outside, remember that we are brothers and we are friends
  • St Basil and St Gregory would get happy when the other one would win!
  • Imagine if Morcous and Jan are playing  soccer and Jan wins... what should Morcous do? Should he focus on "I lost I lost I lost"? That's what we do! But imagine if instead, Morcous was so happy "I'm so happy for you Jan that you won! God bless you"