Sirach 6:14
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure.
I'm on Facebook and Twitter, and so is the radio station. Personally I have 288 friends on Facebook and 172 followers on Twitter. When Facebook first came into being, the number of friends you acquired had some sense of popularity you carried. Relatively speaking my total is low. In fact, some who are friends on my Facebook are barely acquaintance, but are called friends nonetheless. When at home, I'll hear my teenagers talk about various friends and how many are on their pages. Some are called BFF's (Best Friends Forever). One day these BFF's will be put to the test. Forever is such a throwaway term to kids.
Today we hear from the book of Sirach talking about the measure of friends. When it's all said and done, I have about 3-4 friends, outside of family, that I can really count on when the chips are down. Everyone is your friend when you are popular, secure, have money, etc. But when all that is stripped from you, see who's still standing by your side. A good friend will listen, set you straight, give you what you need, and love you through thick and thin. Those are hard to come by, mostly because you have to be vulnerable yourself. Our egos sometimes prevent this.
One of the great traditional gospel songs is What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Not really a contemporary song, but one that resonates with today's reading. Always know that Jesus is your friend, in thick and thin, when the chips are down, and will listen to you if you truly open your heart. Make Jesus your BFF today!
