In this episode, we begin our summer book study on Friendship in the Lord by Fr. Paul Hinnebusch, OP. We focus on the foreword and prologue and reflect on the difference between prudence and fear, the ways we self-protect in relationships, and our longing for authentic communion. We also talk about what it means to love without possessing, how to receive others as a gift, and why friendship is a foretaste of heaven. 

 

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Friendship in the Lord Study Webpage
• Small Group Discussion Guide

 

Announcement:

If you'd like a copy of Friendship in the Lord, you can buy your copy from Ave Maria Press (or Amazon).

 

Journal Questions:

• How do I self protect and hide myself in my relationships?
• When have I felt embarrassed by my own need for friendship?
• Do I allow people to be free in my relationships?
• How has a friend failed me and how have I failed a friend?

 

Discussion Questions:

• How do you define good friendship?
• How have your friendships brought you closer to the Lord?
• How is God inviting you to bring your relationships into closer communion with God?
• When have you experienced possessiveness in your friendships?
• What hopes and desires do I have for my friendships?

 

Quotes to Ponder:

"A true friend is a sort of icon of God, an other through whom the Lord's kindness and mercy shine in a manner that binds up and anoints our brokenness." (Forward to Friendship in the Lord, Fr. John Burns, xv) 

 

"As Fr. Hinnebusch says so well, "What a Christian friend wants above all else for the loved one is his or her communion with the Lord. The one I love, my wife, my husband, my friend, belongs first of all to the Lord. And in that sense, I am only the friend of the Bridegroom. He alone is true Spouse of each and every human heart. He must increase, while I must decrease."" (Forward to Friendship in the Lord, xvii)

 

"A friendship is two lives joined in love and lived as one. But friendship in the Lord is never two people closed in upon themselves. Each of the friends is fully open to the Lord and open to other friends in such a way that the friendship is always part of a larger community. The Christian community is a cluster of many friendships knit together." (Preface to Friendship in the Lord, xix) 

 

Scripture for Lectio:

"Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.  But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall name him Emmanuel,"

which means, "God is with us."  When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,  but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus." (Matthew 1:10-25)

 

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Timestamps:

00:00 Ascension

01:32 Intro

02:19 Welcome

07:06 Scripture Verse and Quote to Ponder

08:32 Becoming an Icon of God

10:21 Self Protection in Relationships

12:40 Adult Friendships Must Be Cultivated

15:11 One Person Cannot Satisfy All Our Desires

19:55 Christian Community is a Cluster of Friendships

23:39 The Temptation to Possess

27:42 Closing Prayer