Homily for Friday of the 5th Week of Easter

When I was a kid, my family lived in a neighborhood filled with a diverse mix of people, including several families with kids. Our next-door neighbors, Mike and Jean, had five children. Over the years, Jean became close friends with my mother. At one point, Jean gifted my mother a decorative sign that hung in our kitchen. It read, “Neighbors by chance; friends by choice.”

Friendship is a tremendous blessing. Deep friendships don’t just happen; people choose each other as friends based on mutual attraction, shared interests, and similar perspectives. Once a friendship is strong and well-established, friends can be themselves and express their feelings more openly.

Jesus refers to His disciples as friends, saying, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” He has also chosen to befriend us, demonstrating His friendship by sharing His true self with us. He has revealed His relationship with the Father and showed His friendship by laying down His life for us. While He has done His part, we must also fulfill ours for the friendship to flourish. We need to choose Jesus just as He has chosen us. To remain in His love and friendship, we must love one another as He has loved us and befriend others as He has befriended us.