Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons: 17 July 2016

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

My friends often tease me by saying that I only work in term time and on Sundays so I've plenty of holidays. That's not even partially true, in the months of July and August I teach and direct some of my Department's Oxford University Summer Schools. All great fun as well as enormously hard work! It's a wonderful experience meeting and connecting with so many people from all over the world. Besides the excitement of learning, people forge good friendships and this, I think, is one of the most important parts of what we do!

Friendship, though we talk about it often, is something that our frenetic bustling world needs more of. I sometimes wonder if we really understand friendship as a fundamental relationship necessary for our growth in life. In an age of blockbuster novels and movies, the roller coaster image of highly charged human bonds, particularly sexual relationships, has moved our focus from true friendship. CS Lewis in his famous book 'The Four Loves "reminds us that friendship is a 'love', something deeply necessary for our existence, something that we cannot really do without.

Jesus places friendship as one of God's gifts, he calls us his friends, 'greater love no one can have than laying down their life for their friends'(Jn 15:13) is perhaps one of his most well known quotes. We we also know some of his closest friends, such as the two sisters Martha and Mary, with Lazarus their brother. So in the passage from Luke 10, where Martha is busy and Mary sits listening to Jesus, his response to Martha's demand that Mary help her needs to be placed in that context of deep friendship. Jesus says; '"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."(Lk 10:41-42)

This, if you think it through, is no rebuke but rather a loving call from a friend to a friend, come and be with me! It's a reminder that in the life the one thing necessary is that kindling of the love we share as friends and the need sometimes to put that first. In a time when we have seen uncertainty in the UK and very angry remarks about the Referendum, some appallingly personal, where senseless violence and terror such as the Nice massacre fill our media, maybe, true friendship, 'the better part', needs to be encouraged a lot more!

Prayer to Christ our Friend

St Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us,
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
Most merciful Redeemer,
Friend and Brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,day by day.