Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
(Sirach 6:5-17; Mark 10:1-12)
In a lovely ballad John Denver sang of his uncle named
Matthew. He said that Matthew grew up on
a farm in Kansas where he learned to love others and believe in God. When a tornado destroyed his farm and killed
his family, Matthew was not devastated.
Rather he found a new life with Denver and his family. As he says, “(Matthew) came to ease my Daddy’s
burden and he came to be my friend.”
Today’s reading from the Book of Sirach recommends a friend like
Matthew. It says that a man who fears
God is “a life-saving remedy,” who can be relied upon in catastrophe. One can trust such a person not only for a
helping hand, but also for a reminder of how one is to act in order to please
the Lord.
In John’s gospel Jesus calls his disciples “friends.” He has
taught them to be like himself. As he
has loved them, they must love one another.
Through Baptism and attention to the Gospel, we have been brought into
Jesus’ circle of friends. Now is our
turn to help one another and remind those whom we meet of the Lord’s ways.
