This morning there was a contrast in the Night Vigils Readings. I read the words of Saul’s aim to kill David and goes on to the friendship of Jonathan. In the Second Reading Fr. Hugh read on St. Aelred about Spiritual Friendship. In the Introduction of the Mass, Dom Raymond, Principal Celebrant, spoke on the subject.
TUESDAY: First Reading, 1 Samuel 19:8-10; 20:1-17
Responsory Sir 6:15-17
There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend; + those who fear the Lord will find one.
V. Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright, for as a person is, so is that person's friend. + Those who fear ...
Second Reading From Spiritual Friendship by Saint Aelred of Rievaulx
In human life nothing holier can be desired, nothing more useful sought after, nothing is harder to find, nothing sweeter to experience, nothing more fruitful to possess than friendship. For it bears fruit both in this life and the next, showing forth all virtues in its sweetness and in its strength destroying vice. It softens the blows of adversity and moderates elation in prosperity. Without friendship there can be hardly any happiness among humans; they may well be compared to animals if they have no one to rejoice with them in good fortune or sympathize with them in sorrow, no one to whom they can unburden themselves in time of trouble, or with whom they can share some especially uplifting or inspiring insight.
Alas for anyone who is alone and has no one to lift him up when he falls. Without a friend one is indeed alone. But what joy it is, what security, what a delight to have someone to whom you dare to speak as to another self; to whom you are not afraid to admit that you have done something wrong, or shy of revealing some spiritual progress you have made; someone to whom you can entrust all the secrets of your heart and with whom you can share your plans.
What can be more pleasant than to be spiritually so closely united to another, so completely one, that no arrogance is to be feared, no suspicion dreaded! Correction of one another causes no pain, nor does praise bring a charge of flattery. A friend, says the Wise Man, is the medicine of life. That is well said, for no other medicine is as powerful and efficacious where temporal ills are concerned as to have someone hastening to us with sympathy when anything goes wrong and congratulating us when things go well. So, shoulder to shoulder, the two bear each other's burdens, each one thinking that his own is lighter than that of his friend. In this way friendship heightens the joys of prosperity and mitigates the sorrows of adversity by dividing and sharing them.
In friendship are joined virtue and pleasure, truth and enjoyment, sweetness and goodwill, feeling and doing, all of which take their beginning from Christ, grow through Christ, and are perfected in Christ. It should not therefore seem too hard or unnatural to ascend from Christ who fills us with the love we have for our friend to Christ who gives himself to us as a friend to be loved, so that pleasure follows upon pleasure, sweetness upon sweetness, affection upon affection. And thus, friend cleaving to friend in a Christian spirit becomes one with him in heart and soul, and by the steps of love rises to friendship with Christ and becomes one spirit with him.
Responsory Sir 4:9-10; 6:14
Two are better than one, for because of their partnership they have this advantage: + if one falls the other can help him up again.
V. A faithful friend is a secure shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure. + If one falls ...
A Word in Season (Readings for the Liturgy if the Hours) Vol.V, pp.193-194.
Aelred of Rievaulx, Saint (1109-1167) A native of Yorkshire, Aelred spent part of his youth at the court of King David of Scotland. About the year 1133 he entered the Cistercian monastery of Rievaulx of which he later became abbot. His writings, which combine mystical and speculative theology, earned him the title, "The Bernard of the North." The most important works of this master of the spiritual life are The Mirror of Cluirity and Spiritual Friendship.
TUESDAY: First Reading, 1 Samuel 19:8-10; 20:1-17
Responsory Sir 6:15-17
There is nothing so precious as a faithful friend; + those who fear the Lord will find one.
V. Whoever fears the Lord directs his friendship aright, for as a person is, so is that person's friend. + Those who fear ...
Second Reading From Spiritual Friendship by Saint Aelred of Rievaulx
In human life nothing holier can be desired, nothing more useful sought after, nothing is harder to find, nothing sweeter to experience, nothing more fruitful to possess than friendship. For it bears fruit both in this life and the next, showing forth all virtues in its sweetness and in its strength destroying vice. It softens the blows of adversity and moderates elation in prosperity. Without friendship there can be hardly any happiness among humans; they may well be compared to animals if they have no one to rejoice with them in good fortune or sympathize with them in sorrow, no one to whom they can unburden themselves in time of trouble, or with whom they can share some especially uplifting or inspiring insight.
Alas for anyone who is alone and has no one to lift him up when he falls. Without a friend one is indeed alone. But what joy it is, what security, what a delight to have someone to whom you dare to speak as to another self; to whom you are not afraid to admit that you have done something wrong, or shy of revealing some spiritual progress you have made; someone to whom you can entrust all the secrets of your heart and with whom you can share your plans.
What can be more pleasant than to be spiritually so closely united to another, so completely one, that no arrogance is to be feared, no suspicion dreaded! Correction of one another causes no pain, nor does praise bring a charge of flattery. A friend, says the Wise Man, is the medicine of life. That is well said, for no other medicine is as powerful and efficacious where temporal ills are concerned as to have someone hastening to us with sympathy when anything goes wrong and congratulating us when things go well. So, shoulder to shoulder, the two bear each other's burdens, each one thinking that his own is lighter than that of his friend. In this way friendship heightens the joys of prosperity and mitigates the sorrows of adversity by dividing and sharing them.
In friendship are joined virtue and pleasure, truth and enjoyment, sweetness and goodwill, feeling and doing, all of which take their beginning from Christ, grow through Christ, and are perfected in Christ. It should not therefore seem too hard or unnatural to ascend from Christ who fills us with the love we have for our friend to Christ who gives himself to us as a friend to be loved, so that pleasure follows upon pleasure, sweetness upon sweetness, affection upon affection. And thus, friend cleaving to friend in a Christian spirit becomes one with him in heart and soul, and by the steps of love rises to friendship with Christ and becomes one spirit with him.
Responsory Sir 4:9-10; 6:14
Two are better than one, for because of their partnership they have this advantage: + if one falls the other can help him up again.
V. A faithful friend is a secure shelter; whoever finds one finds a treasure. + If one falls ...
A Word in Season (Readings for the Liturgy if the Hours) Vol.V, pp.193-194.
Aelred of Rievaulx, Saint (1109-1167) A native of Yorkshire, Aelred spent part of his youth at the court of King David of Scotland. About the year 1133 he entered the Cistercian monastery of Rievaulx of which he later became abbot. His writings, which combine mystical and speculative theology, earned him the title, "The Bernard of the North." The most important works of this master of the spiritual life are The Mirror of Cluirity and Spiritual Friendship.
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