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Today on the podcast, Mary, teacher of friendship, Father Peter Armandio, a priest of Opus Day, invites us to reflect on Mary's title, Mother Most Amiable, showing us how Jesus and Mary invested in the lives of others as true friends.

He explains how friendship was the vehicle in which the early church grew, and why friendship should be at the heart of today's new evangelization.

I'd like to begin my reflection on this day of the novena as we enter into our third segment of this novena.

I have a vested interest.

I want to thank our lady for all the graces she has won

during these very special days. One of the signs of her maternal intervention

have been those long lines of people, living out today's gospel, coming back to the divine healer, the good shepherd.

Peace begins in those confessional boxes. And peace, since peace is synonymous with Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is the incarnation of self-giving love,

that peace always diffuses out. For this reason, St. Jose Maria, in a number of occasions, says,

in order to bring peace into our own hearts, into our own families, into our own circle of friends,

into society itself.

It always begins with holiness, because holiness consists in being full of Christ.

And Christ is love, and love is always diffusive.

The theme for tonight's reflection is Mother Most Amiable.

And what is that all about? Well, the theme is peace. Why did we choose peace? Because this is always a theme, something dear to the heart of our Lord and his mother. And a theme strongly emphasized by our Holy Father, given the troubles that mark the entire world,

but especially in that part of the world, where the gospel starts.

I want to focus on an obvious manifestation of love that marked Mary's life and her son's life.

And that is friendship.

Jesus' parting word. And that is friendship. Jesus parting words at the last supper before his apostles was,

I call you friends. I'm a friend. And in a certain sense, all four Gospels are little vignettes

of Jesus' personal relationships. And they're very personal. He treats Nicodemus differently than he treats

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