On The Friendship of The Saints

I like St. Martin de Porres, a lay brother of the Dominicans, who, like St. Francis, had the ability to talk to the animals, and these listened!

I like St. Martin as he was a friend of one of my personal patrons, St. Rose of Lima.

My point of this post is that saints need friends. Friendship is a dying art. Too many people look at each other with dollar signs in their eyes, instead of selfless love.

Too many people do not have the proper boundaries for friendship.

Too many people do not have enough personal freedom to allow other such in friendship.

Catholics need friends. Some of us have been abandoned by friends when times get tough. Some people stop being friends when there is nothing to get from the other, so they think. Christ allowed Himself to be abandoned by friends.

But, friendship is a real gift of Christianity to the world.

The first apostles became friends. SS. Francis and Clare were friends. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is a blessed because he knew how to make friends in Christ.

That Martin and Rose were friends comforts me. Can you imagine their discussions about Jesus, Mary and Joseph? Can you imagine them planning to help the poor? Did they pray together now and then?

We need friends in Christ. Recently, I had to say goodbye to two dear friends of mine. One is of an age where I am concerned whether I shall ever see her again alive. We would talk about God and religious things for hours and hours, like SS. Benedict and Scholastic on the night of her death.

Talking about the ways of God and encouraging one another to be saints is what friends in Christ do.

Be a friend and help your friends become saints.

Happy Feast of St. Martin de Porres.