Contemplation — For Our Mutual Friend

Contemplation — For Our Mutual Friend

Contemplation — For Our Mutual Friend 1080 1080 SVDP USA

When the founders of this country publicly stated their intent to separate themselves from the British Empire, they closed with the stirring pledge of “our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” No one reading that declaration doubted for a moment the seriousness of their commitment. When members join the Society, they similarly promise to “share their time, their possessions, their talents and themselves.” [Rule, Part I, 2.5.1] If we are living this promise, the neighbor should never doubt the seriousness of our commitment.

In their revolutionary pledge, the founders promised this total commitment to each other; it was truly a pledge of friendship, an unbreakable and sacrificial bond for the sake of the liberty they sought together. Ours also is a pledge of friendship, between not only the members themselves, but with God and the neighbor. It is “a three-fold relationship with God, the poor, and one another – mutual support and friendship.” [Rule, Part III, St. 5]

Christ, who told us that there is no greater act of love towards one’s friends than to give one’s life for them did exactly that for us, and so, St. Vincent asks, “Can we have a better friend than God?” When our friends – our best friends – ask us to join them at a movie, a show, in a hobby or pastime that we otherwise might not choose, we do it not for love of that hobby, but for love of our friend. Similarly, then, St. Vincent continues, “Must we not love all that [God] loves and, for love of Him, consider our neighbor as our friend!” [CCD XI:39]

The neighbor is truly loved by God; it is the neighbor for whom He died no less than He died for us. When we pledge to share our time, our possessions, our talents, and ourselves, we make this pledge in true friendship, knowing that there is no act of friendship greater than self-sacrifice, and always mindful that one of the friends in this “three-fold relationship” has not only already made, but kept this pledge.

So, when the neighbor calls us, we never respond by seeking a way to limit our help or to serve our own convenience first. Instead, like we would for any true friend, we drop everything in order to “serve the poor cheerfully, listening to them and respecting their wishes.” [Rule, Part I, 1.8]

Charity, the love of God, is to do for others what we would reasonably want them to do for us; it “causes us to do for our neighbor the good that a person has the right to expect from a faithful friend.” [CCD XII, 216] The American founders “mutually pledge4 to each other,” to their friends, a very great commitment. May we mutually pledge to our friends – to each other, to God, and to the neighbor – in our words and in our actions, a true declaration of charity.

Contemplate

Do I ever allow myself to give less than I would expect to receive from a friend?

Recommended Reading

Faces of Holiness

4 Comments
  • I’m sure this was written prior to the Israel situation and declared war but I would recommend adding an addendum and acknowledging the situation, asking all of us to pray, and maybe even mention the society’s presence in Israel. I well written contemplation overall.

  • You continue to inspire! Thank you!

  • Mr. Tim Williams.:
    I’m glad you related the time of the Declaration of Independence to our efforts today, as Vincentians. I wish my physical neighbors WOULD ask me for assistance, but they hardly ever do. And the poor men and women on the street are maybe too ashamed or distracted to ask for help. But to see the condition they are in is reason enough for intervention, if they will even ACCEPT it.. Like Jesus reminded us, we have to seek them out.,( pride or no pride), and offer each what we can.. And God will be aware of our honest intentions.

    NOTE–Do you think you can ENLARGE the font of this interchange? It is barely 6 or 8, if that. Thanks for your attention.
    John DeLaney
    St. Raymond’s Conference
    Downey, CA 90242

    • Dear John, Thank you for your message. To enlarge the font on your screen, click the accessibility icon on the right of your screen (it looks like a white wheelchair on a blue background). From there, you can click Increase Text, and it will expand the font size for you.

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