TRÁI TIM MẸ:  NƠI CON NƯƠNG NÁU - ĐƯỜNG ĐẾN VỚI CHÚA

"Chúa Giêsu muốn dùng con để làm cho Mẹ được nhận biết và yêu mến"

 

 

    October 05, 2008 –  27th Sunday of  Ordinary Time    

 

DAILY LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION:

The kingdom taken from the unrepentant

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S):

A Synod of Novelties

SAINT OF THE DAY

St. Faustina

 GENERAL MARIOLOGY
 THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY

DIVINE MERCY

On Sanctity, Holiness:

Glorifying Your Mercy — My Task

 TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION:

BEING GOOD FRIENDS: HOW TO GET ONE

 

Monthly Index

 

 

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION
 
Sunday (10/5): The kingdom taken from the unrepentant

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-43

33 "Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." 42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it."

Meditation: What can a parable about the mis-managment of a vineyard tell us about the kingdom of God? Jesus’ audience could easily identify with the story about an absentee landlord and his not-so-good tenants. The hills of Galilee were lined with numerous vineyards, and it was quite common for the owners to let out their estates to tenants. Many did it because they could make a lot of money easily by collecting high rent from their tenants. Their wealthy status allowed them to travel and own houses in other places. Jesus' story, however, was unsettling to some of his audience. Why did the scribes and Pharisees in particular feel offended? Jesus' parable contained both a prophetic message and a warning to the religious community and its leaders. Isaiah had spoken of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the Lord" (Isaiah 5:7). Isaiah warned his people that their unfaithfulness would yield bad fruit if they did not repent and change. Jesus' listeners would likely understand this parable as a healthy reminder that God will in due time root out bad fruit and put an end to rebellion.

What does Jesus' parable tell us about God and the way he deals with his people? First, it tells us of God's generosity and trust. The vineyard is well equipped with everything the tenants need. The owner went away and left the vineyard in the hands of the tenants. God, likewise trusts us enough to give us freedom to run life as we choose. This parable also tells us of God's patience and justice. Not once, but many times he forgives the tenants their debts.  But while the tenants take advantage of the owner's patience, his judgment and justice prevail in the end.

Jesus foretold both his death and his ultimate triumph. He knew he would be rejected by his own people and be killed, but he also knew that would not be the end. After rejection would come glory – the glory of resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father. The Lord continues to bless his people today with the gift of his kingdom. And he promises that we will bear much fruit if we abide in him and remain faithful to him (see John 15:1-11). He entrusts each of us with his gifts and grace and he gives each of us a particular work to do in his vineyard –  the body of Christ. He promises that our labor, especially what we do for him, will not be in vain if we persevere with faith to the end (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). We can expect trials and difficulties as we labor for the Lord, and even persecution from those who oppose God's kingdom. But in the end we will see triumph. Do you labor for the Lord with joyful hope and with confidence in his victory?

"Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us; for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us. O most merciful redeemer, friend, and brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, for you own sake." (prayer of St. Richard of Chichester, 13th century)

Psalm 80:8-19

8 Thou didst bring a vine out of Egypt; thou didst drive out the nations and plant it.
9 Thou didst clear the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches;
11 it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then hast thou broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see;  have regard for this vine,
15 the stock which thy right hand planted.
16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance!
17 But let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou hast made strong for thyself!
18 Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

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UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

 

A Synod of Novelties

What Will Be New When the Bishops Gather Sunday

 
VATICAN CITY, OCT. 3, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The participation of a rabbi, the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, and a record number of women is one factor that makes this month's synod extraordinary.

The 12th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will open with a Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls on Sunday. It will run through Oct. 26 and focus on the theme "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church."

Some of the novelties brought by this synod were highlighted today in a press conference with Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, the secretary-general of the synod.

Shear Yashuv Cohen, chief rabbi of Haifa and co-chairman of the Jewish-Catholic bilateral commission, will address the synod Monday. After his address, Cardinal Albert Vanhoye will speak on the Jewish people and their Scripture in the Christian Bible, a theme studied by the Pontifical Biblical Commission. Cardinal Vanhoye was secretary of the commission when it published its work on the topic in 2001. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was president.

Both these addresses will be transmitted by Vatican Television, another novelty.

The patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, will join with Benedict XVI in presiding over vespers and a celebration of the word. He will address the synod for a half hour, followed by an address from the Pope.

Twenty-five women will also lend their expertise to the synod, six as experts and 19 as auditors. The majority of the experts are Scripture professors and several of the auditors are superiors of religious orders or representatives of ecclesial movements.

Another of the novelties is more time allotted for open discussion, something that already was increased in 2005 at the synod on the Eucharist.

Prepared interventions will have a time limit of five minutes, which will leave more time for discussion.

Like the past synod, October's meeting will also lack something: There will be no bishops participating from mainland China.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, reported that it was not possible to come to an agreement with Chinese authorities to permit their participation. In the previous synod, the Vatican had invited four Chinese bishops, who also were denied permission to participate. Their spots at the synod remained vacant.
 

 

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DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

 

October 5, 2008

St. Faustina

(1905-1938)  

St. Mary Faustina's name is forever linked to the annual feast of the Divine Mercy (celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter), the divine mercy chaplet and the divine mercy prayer recited each day by many people at 3 p.m.

Born in what is now west-central Poland (part of Germany before World War I), Helena was the third of 10 children. After age 16 she worked as a housekeeper in three cities before joining the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925. She worked as a cook, gardener and porter in three of their houses.

In addition to carrying out her work faithfully, generously serving the needs of the sisters and the local people, she also had a deep interior life. This included receiving revelations from the Lord Jesus, messages that she recorded in her diary at the request of Christ and of her confessors.

At a time when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict judge that they might be tempted to despair about the possibility of being forgiven, Jesus chose to emphasize his mercy and forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed. “I do not want to punish aching mankind,” he once told St. Mary Faustina, “but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart” (Diary 1588). The two rays emanating from Christ's heart, she said, represent the blood and water poured out after Jesus' death (Gospel of John 19:34)

Because Sister Mary Faustina knew that the revelations she had already received did not constitute holiness itself, she wrote in her diary: “Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God” (Diary 1107).

Sister Mary Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and canonized her in 2000.

Comment:

Devotion to God's Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God's willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God's love [mercy] endures forever.”

Quote:

Four years after Faustina's beatification, Pope John Paul II visited the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki (near Krakow) and addressed members of her congregation. He said: “The message of divine mercy has always been very close and precious to me. It is as though history has written it in the tragic experience of World War II. In those difficult years, this message was a particular support and an inexhaustible source of hope, not only for those living in Krakow, but for the entire nation. This was also my personal experience, which I carried with me to the See of Peter and which, in a certain sense, forms the image of this pontificate. I thank divine providence because I was able to contribute personally to carrying out Christ's will, by instituting the feast of Divine Mercy. Here, close to the remains of Blessed Faustina, I thank God for the gift of her beatification. I pray unceasingly that God may have 'mercy on us and on the whole world' (chaplet of Divine Mercy).”

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GENERAL MARIOLOGY

  

THE SECRET OF THE ROSARY FOR RENEWAL AND SALVATION

By St. Louis Marie de Montfort   

 (continued)
 

FIRST DECADE

The surpassing merit of the Rosary as seen in its origin and

name.

 

First Rose

 

9    The Rosary is made up of two things: mental prayer and vocal

prayer. In the Rosary mental prayer is none other than meditation

of the chief mysteries of the life, death and glory of Jesus

Christ and of his blessed Mother. Vocal prayer consists in saying

fifteen decades of the Hail Mary, each decade headed by an Our

Father, while at the same time meditating on and contemplating

the fifteen principal virtues which Jesus and Mary practised in

the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.

     In the first five decades we must honour the five Joyful

Mysteries and meditate on them; in the second five decades, the

Sorrowful Mysteries; and in the third group of five, the Glorious

Mysteries. So the Rosary is a blessed blending of mental and

vocal prayer by which we honour and learn to imitate the

mysteries and the virtues of the life, death, passion and glory

of Jesus and Mary.

 

Second Rose

 

10   Since the Rosary is composed, principally and in substance,

of the prayer of Christ and the Angelic Salutation, that is, the

Our Father and the Hail Mary, it was without doubt the first

prayer and the principal devotion of the faithful and has been

in use all through the centuries, from the time of the apostles

and disciples down to the present.

 

11   It was only in the year 1214, however, that the Church

received the Rosary in its present form and according to the

method we use today. It was given to the Church by St. Dominic,

who had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a means of

converting the Albigensians and other sinners.

     I will tell you the story of how he received it, which is

found in the very well-known book De Dignitate Psalterii, by

Blessed Alan de la Roche. Saint Dominic, seeing that the gravity

of people's sins was hindering the conversion of the

Albigensians, withdrew into a forest near Toulouse, where he

prayed continuously for three days and three nights. During this

time he did nothing but weep and do harsh penances in order to

appease the anger of God. He used his discipline so much that his

body was lacerated, and finally he fell into a coma.

     At this point our Lady appeared to him, accompanied by three

angels, and she said, "Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the

Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?"

     "Oh, my Lady," answered Saint Dominic, "you know far better

than I do, because next to your Son Jesus Christ you have always

been the chief instrument of our salvation."

     Then our Lady replied, "I want you to know that, in this

kind of warfare, the principal weapon has always been the Angelic

Psalter, which is the foundation-stone of the New Testament.

Therefore, if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them

over to God, preach my Psalter."

     So he arose, comforted, and burning with zeal for the

conversion of the people in that district, he made straight for

the cathedral. At once unseen angels rang the bells to gather the

people together, and Saint Dominic began to preach.

     At the very beginning of his sermon, an appalling storm

broke out, the earth shook, the sun was darkened, and there was

so much thunder and lightning that all were very much afraid.

Even greater was their fear when, looking at a picture of our

Lady exposed in a prominent place, they saw her raise her arms

to heaven three times to call down God's vengeance upon them if

they failed to be converted, to amend their lives, and seek the

protection of the holy Mother of God.

     God wished, by means of these supernatural phenomena, to

spread the new devotion of the holy Rosary and to make it more

widely known.

     At last, at the prayer of Saint Dominic, the storm came to

an end, and he went on preaching. So fervently and compellingly

did he explain the importance and value of the Rosary that almost

all the people of Toulouse embraced it and renounced their false

beliefs. In a very short time a great improvement was seen in the

town; people began leading Christian lives and gave up their

former bad habits.

 

Third Rose

 

12   The miraculous way in which the devotion to the holy Rosary

was established is something of a parallel to the way in which

God gave his law to the world on Mount Sinai, and it obviously

proves its value and importance.

     Inspired by the Holy Spirit, instructed by the Blessed

Virgin as well as by his own experience, Saint Dominic preached

the Rosary for the rest of his life. He preached it by his

example as well as by his sermons, in cities and in country

places, to people of high station and low, before scholars and

the uneducated, to Catholics and to heretics.

     The Rosary, which he said every day, was his preparation for

every sermon and his little tryst with our Lady immediately after

preaching.

 

13   One day he had to preach at Notre Dame in Paris, and it

happened to be the feast of St. John the Evangelist. He was in

a little chapel behind the high altar prayerfully preparing his

sermon by saying the Rosary, as he always did, when our Lady

appeared to him and said: "Dominic, even though what you have

planned to say may be very good, I am bringing you a much better

sermon."

     Saint Dominic took in his hands the book our Lady proffered,

read the sermon carefully and, when he had understood it and

meditated on it, he gave thanks to her.

     When the time came, he went up into the pulpit and, in spite

of the feast day, made no mention of Saint John other than to say

that he had been found worthy to be the guardian of the Queen of

Heaven. The congregation was made up of theologians and other

eminent people, who were used to hearing unusual and polished

discourses; but Saint Dominic told them that it was not his

desire to give them a learned discourse, wise in the eyes of the

world, but that he would speak in the simplicity of the Holy

Spirit and with his forcefulness.

     So he began preaching the Rosary and explained the Hail Mary

word by word as he would to a group of children, and used the

very simple illustrations which were in the book given him by our

Lady.

 

14    Carthagena, the great scholar, quoting Blessed Alan de la

Roche in De Dignitate Psalterii, describes how this took place.

     "Blessed Alan writes that one day Father Dominic said to him

in a vision, 'My son, it is good to preach; but there is always

a danger of looking for praise rather than the salvation of

souls. Listen care-fully to what happened to me in Paris, so that

you may be on your guard against this kind of mistake. I was to

preach in the great church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and

I was particularly anxious to give a fine sermon, not out of

pride, but because of the high intellectual stature of the

congregation.

     "'An hour before the time I had to preach, I was dutifully

saying my Rosary - as I always did before giving a sermon - when

I fell into ecstasy. I saw my beloved friend, the Mother of God,

coming towards me with a book in her hand. "Dominic," she said,

"your sermon for today may be very good indeed, but no matter how

good it is, I have brought you one that is very much better."

     "'Of course I was overjoyed, and I took the book and read

every word of it. Just as our Lady had said, I found exactly the

right things to say in my sermon, so I thanked her with all my

heart.

     "'When it was time to begin, I saw that the University of

Paris had turned out in full force, as well as a large number of

noblemen. They had all seen and heard of the great things that

the good Lord had been doing through me.

     "'I went up into the pulpit. It was the feast of Saint John

the Evangelist but all I said about him was that he had been

found worthy to be the guardian of the Queen of Heaven. Then I

addressed the congregation:

     "'My Lords and illustrious doctors of the University, you

are accustomed to hearing learned sermons suited to your refined

tastes. Now I do not want to speak to you in the scholarly

language of human wisdom but, on the contrary, to show you the

Spirit of Cod and his greatness."'

     Here ends the quotation from Blessed Alan, after which

Carthagena goes on to say in his own words, "Then Saint Dominic

explained the Angelic Salutation to them, using simple

comparisons and examples from everyday life."

 

15   Blessed Alan, according to Carthagena, mentioned several

other occasions when our Lord and our Lady appeared to Saint

Dominic to urge him and inspire him to preach the Rosary more and

more in order to wipe out sin and convert sinners and heretics.

     In another passage Carthagena says, "Blessed Alan said our

Lady revealed to him that, after she had appeared to Saint

Dominic, her blessed Son appeared to him and said, 'Dominic, I

rejoice to see that you are not relying on your own wisdom and

that, rather than seek the empty praise of men, you are working

with great humility for the salvation of souls.

     "'But many priests want to preach thunderously against the

worst kinds of sin at the very outset, failing to realize that

before a sick person is given bitter medicine, he needs to be

prepared by being put into the right frame of mind to really

benefit by it.

     "'That is why, before doing anything else, priests should

try to kindle a love of prayer in people's hearts and especially

a love of my Angelic Psalter. If only they would all start saying

it and would really persevere, God in his mercy could hardly

refuse to give them his grace. So I want you to preach my

Rosary."'

 

16   In another place Blessed Alan says, "All priests say a Hail

Mary with the faithful before preaching, to ask for God's grace.'

They do this because of a revelation that Saint Dominic had from

our Lady. 'My son,' she said one day, 'do not be surprised that

your sermons fail to bear the results you had hoped for. You are

trying to cultivate a piece of ground which has not had any rain.

Now when God planned to renew the face of the earth, he started

by sending down rain from heaven - and this was the Angelic

Salutation. In this way God reformed the world.

     "'So when you give a sermon, urge people to say my Rosary,

and in this way your words will bear much fruit for souls.'

     "Saint Dominic lost no time in obeying, and from then on he

exerted great influence by his sermons." (This last quotation is

from "The Book of Miracles of the Holy Rosary," written in

Italian, also found in Justin's works, Sermon 143.)

 

17   I have been very pleased to quote these well-known authors

word for word for the benefit of those who might otherwise have

doubts as to the marvellous power of the Rosary.

     As long as priests followed Saint Dominic's example and

preached devotion to the holy Rosary, piety and fervour thrived

throughout the Christian world and in those religious orders

which were devoted to the Rosary. But since people have neglected

this gift from heaven, all kinds of sin and disorder have spread

far and wide.

(to be continued)


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DIVINE MERCY

Dairy from St. Faustina

On Sanctity, Holiness

Glorifying Your Mercy — My Task

†  O my Jesus, each of Your saints reflects one of Your virtues; I desire to reflect Your compassionate Heart, full of mercy; I want to glorify it. Let Your mercy, O Jesus, be impressed upon my heart and soul like a seal, and this will be my badge in this and the future life. Glorifying Your mercy is the exclusive task of my life (Diary, 1242).

Now I understand why there are so few saints; it is because so few souls are deeply humble (Diary, 1306).

I desire to come out of this retreat a saint, even though human eyes will not notice this, not even those of the superiors. I abandon myself entirely to the action of Your grace. Let Your will be accomplished entirely in me, O Lord (Diary, 1326).

  

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 CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

 

BEING GOOD FRIENDS: HOW TO GET ONE

by Duy Ðức

A

nyone can have friends. Even people whom we dislike intensely for various reasons have their own friends. But in my experience, there are friends, then there are friends. One of the most common things I have heard from people is that they have a lot of friends, but it is difficult for them to have close friends. In many ways, making good friends is a skill, and like all skills, it must be learned, practiced, and refined.

First, however, let us discuss what it means to have a friendship. Friendship is an in-depth relationship between two individuals in which there are trust, support, communication, loyalty, understanding, empathy, and intimacy. Indeed, a friend is someone we can feel comfortable around no matter what state we are in. It's just like when we go to somebody's house for the weekend. While we are there, we have a lot of fun experiencing something different. But the moment we get back to our own house, our own room, a feeling of relaxation comes upon us, and we say, "Home at last!" In many ways, that's how it is with a friend. No matter where we go, whom we talk to, what images we have to put on at school or at work, a friend is someone we can come "home" to and be able to say, "At last, I don't have to worry about anything." We can take off our shoes, put our feet on the coffee table, turn on our favorite music CD with a friend.

There are many things a good friend can do for us. First, they help us to grow in self-knowledge. In other words, by relating to our friend, we discover new things about ourselves. A friend may introduce us to things that we liked without even knowing it. For example, we may never discover our interest for poetry until a friend drags us to a poetry reading or show us a poem he liked. We find out the things that we both like -- a certain sport, a particular style of music, some foods. At the same time, we can also find out things that are different between us. Our friend may like phôû* the best while we like spring rolls the best. A friend may like to take walks in the afternoon while we prefer to sit around and watch television. Whether similarities or differences, a good friend will always be able to help us grow in self-knowledge.

A second way that a good friend can help us is by expanding our outlook on life. For example, we may make a friend who is of a different race and culture. She has different ideas about clothes, food, and religion, etc.. In many ways, these things that are different from us can help us to see that there is other ways of looking at the world beside what we are used to. Thus, we can break out of our own shells. For example, I would never have gone skydiving if a friend of mine didn't convince me that it was a thrilling experience and that I would enjoy it tremendously. A friend may also introduce us to technologies that we didn't know about, or even spiritual groups that we didn't know about.

Third, a friend is a good source of encouragement. A good friend will never want to see us fail and don't feel the need to put us down in order to lift himself up. He wants to encourage us so that we can overcome the difficulties and the stress that we experience in our daily life.

Fourth, a good friend is not only good at giving but also good at receiving. In other words, a good friend offers us company, love, support, but he will also be able to receive these things from us. Therefore, it is a reciprocal relationship of giving and receiving. Good friends allow us to exercise our skills of listening to them, encouraging them, supporting them, and loving them. They help us to practice at being good friends ourselves.

Finally, good friends help us to grow in our ability to trust. In this competitive world, it is very difficult to trust people because it seems that everyone wants what we have. Nevertheless, a good friend helps us to be able to trust in someone else. If we live without trust, it would be a very unhappy life.

While good friends are important, like many things in life, they don't come automatically. Making good friends require hard and continuous work. Let us consider the necessary steps in making a good friend:

1. People Equal Friends.

There is a certain chemistry with friends just as in a love relationship. Therefore, contact with other people is the first building block to grow a friend. Friends can't grow in a vacuum. Best friends take time.

2. Talking Is Essential Among Friends.

Talking between friends requires reciprocity. In a mutually satisfying friendship, both friends talk and both friends listen. Friends talk appropriately to each other.

3. Friends Acknowledge Friends.

Friends acknowledge each other when talking. Many conflicts in your personal relationships can be avoided if you will take the time to acknowledge other's feelings and points of view.

4. Friends Listen to Friends.

Listening to friends in an important step in building a closer friendship. We often take listening for granted, never realizing what it means to really listen to a friend.

5. Friends Attend to Friends.

Friends focus during conversations. Friends pay attention in conversations. It means that your ears, your eyes, your body and your feelings are all focused on that person at the time.

6. Friends Show Empathy With Friends.

Empathy is identifying with your friend's feelings and seeing life through your friend's eyes. Confidences are freely given when they are received with empathy among friends.

7. Friends Touch Friends.

Touching is a warm form of communication between friends. When you see best friends communicating, you will notice friends "listen with their eyes," stand close together, and touch comfortably.

8. Friends Praise Friends.

Affirmation is a powerful tool for growing a friend. Genuine praise can affect your friends' lives. Be liberal with praise for all of your friends, including your casual ones.

9. Friends Are Loyal and Trustworthy.

Trust and loyalty go hand-in-hand for friends. Friends can trust you with their secrets, both large and small, because good friends never break a confidence. Good friends are forever loyal!

10. Friends are Equal.

Friends are on a seesaw. In a healthy relationship, friends are equals. Not 50/50 every time, of course, but with a true, lasting friendship it always evens out in the end.

11. Friends Reveal Their Feelings.

We feel closest to our friends when we are suffering together, when we feel like our friend needs us, or when we feel a friend has shared something of great importance with us.

12. Friends Forego Mind Reading.

The friend who thinks, "If you really liked me, you could read my mind" can not have an adult friendship. No friend can read your mind. And you can not read your friend's mind.

As we can see, forming long lasting friendship requires time, effort, and patience. A friend is not someone we can buy with money or falsehood, but must acquire through genuine love and care. Let us strive to be good friends to others so that our life may also be enriched by the goodness that friends can provide us.

 


 

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