“You have a good friend there, My son, a good friend!” (Inner word)
“A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter: he that has found one has found a treasure.” (Sir 6:14)
I heard these beautiful words deep within my heart and knew that the good friend was the Apostle Paul. Indeed, he has been with me for a long time, and his wise words and devoted life are a light on my path. Thus, he is my teacher and friend, to whom I can turn.
When we think of the word friendship, we usually think of other living people whom we can see and speak with, and we hear the good advice: “When you gain a friend, gain him through testing, and do not trust him hastily.” (Sir 6:7) If we take this advice to heart, we soon realize that there are not all that many true friends.
Have we ever looked for friends in heaven? There are many there who would be faithful to us and who may be just waiting for us to speak to them. Perhaps they enter our lives in some way and make themselves known.
In the message from God the Father to Mother Eugenia, we hear a word from the heavenly Father: “I would like everybody, from the youngest to the oldest, to call Me by the familiar name of Father and Friend. For I am always with you.”
Herein lies the firm foundation of all true friendship. It springs from the heart of God, who offers it to us and bestows it with unsurpassed faithfulness. If we have Him as a friend, then we will always be able to recognize true friendship and can also be true friends ourselves.
My friendship with Saint Paul will also help me in this.