Lent Day 9:
Faithful friends are a well-built shelter;
when you find one, you find a treasure.
Faithful friends are priceless;
their value is beyond counting.
Faithful friends are the essence of life,
a blessing for those who fear Yahweh.
Those who fear Yahweh treat others with respect;
and their friends will behave the same way.
Sirach 6:14
(Sirach was written by a Jewish scribe who lived in Jerusalem in the early third century BC. His name was Jesus, son of Eleazar, son of Sirach. He is often called simply "Ben Sira.")
A suggestion for your prayer and meditation:
"A primary activity in spiritual direction is simply listening, being a sounding board on whom others can try out ideas, oprinions, or self-criticism...This is almost a natural response to deep friendship. By making such friendship spiritual by a specific agreement of both parties, you will truly find "a treasure beyond price and a life-saving remedy". (Father William A. Meninger from The Committed Life).
- Read the passage from Sirach slowly, pausing a few seconds at the end of each line.
- Take a moment today and consider who among those you know might be your faithful friend.
- Email or call that friend and ask if they might act as a spiritual director if even for just this one time.
- Consider an idea, opinion or self-criticism that you might express to your friend and ask for their feedback.
- Acknowledge their feedback refraining from the urge to agree or disagree.
- Offer your response to this feedback in prayer perhaps using the statement "Creator God, pour forth your Wisdom on me and grant me insight and understanding, amen."
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