Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
(Acts 15:22-31; John 15:12-17)
Since the rise of Facebook, people have “friends” whom they
have never met. This is not what Jesus
has in mind when he calls his disciples “friends” in today’s gospel.
Jesus’ exalted sense of friendship probably stems from the
Greek cultural influence in Palestine. Aristotle
taught that there are different kinds of friends. Some are people just fun to be around. Others are useful for business purposes. The most important friends are those with
whom one may share the secrets of her or his life. They love the person so well that they only
want what is best for her or him. One
does not have many friends of this type and can be grateful for having just
one.
Jesus wants to be our friend. He is near so that he might hear our deepest
desires and disappointments. He is ready
to support our efforts and to console us when we fail. All he asks of us is to love one another,
something like the way in which he loves us.
