Friendship, Part 2 of 3

In last week’s reflection we looked at Aristotle’s understanding of friendship and its importance for the moral life. Friendships are possible when we learn to love ourselves, and we become better people when we invest in the kinds of friendships that point us towards the good. This morning we will extend this discussion a little and look at St. Thomas Aquinas.

With regard to earthly friendship, Thomas does not venture too far from what we saw last week in Aristotle. What makes his account distinctive is that he focuses on our ability to be friends with God. Drawing on verses like James 2:3, which states, “And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'—and he was called a friend of God;” and John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends,” Thomas took friendship to be an essential part of the Christian life. It is the goal of humankind to be friends with God. This is where our journey as finite creates finds its most fitting end, and where we become truly blessed. But, this is not just something that is reserved for the next life. We can, to some degree, experience this special friendship in this age. We become friends with God through our receiving of the virtue of charity by grace when we receive the Holy Spirit at baptism.

As with Aristotle’s friendship of good character, when we are friends with God we take on the good characteristics of the one with whom we are friends. The invitation to partake in God’s loving activity provides a dynamic sharing in charity. St Paul’s, it is my prayer for us that through God’s free gift of grace, we might be infused with the charity which makes possible friendship with our savior. And from this, cultivate the habits of discipleship and friendship in each other, which teaches us how to love ourselves well, and love our neighbors.