 |
|
Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on February 14.
Originating as a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus, Valentine’s Day is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romantic love and friendship.
Jesus calls his apostles his friends
In John 15: 14-15, Jesus tells his apostles, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know what his master is doing. I call you friends because I have made known to you everything that I have learned from my Father.”This passage has always deeply moved me. I am amazed that we could be friends with the Son of God. It boggles my mind and heart.
A nursing home resident told me that God created us with a hole in our heart that can only be filled by God and not by material things.
In Theology and Sanity, Frank Sheed wrote that trying to satisfy our hunger and thirst for God with material things is like trying to satisfy our spiritual hunger with salt water or some of modern life’s junk food. The more we eat and drink, the thirstier and hungrier we become.
Desire for a friend
Deep in our hearts is a desire for a friend, someone with whom we can laugh, cry, and share our hopes and dreams, someone who helps us up when we are down and need a helping hand. A friend helps to bring out our best inner self and affirms our gifts.
The desire for friends begins early. A little boy may say, “My dad, my classmate, grandpa, or my dog is my best friend.” His sister may proudly say that her sister, mom, grandma, or her doll is her best friend.
We may have tried to be someone’s friend, but they would not open the door of their heart to friendship. It was locked like a safe whose combination was thrown in the depths of the sea. This hurt! But we learned to live with it somewhat.
Friendships can have moments when forgiveness is needed. Shortly after Christ declared the apostles were his friends, they deserted him when he most needed them. But he forgave them. They were reconciled and gave their lives for Jesus after they experienced the Risen Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Christ knocks on our door
Holman Hunt painted the most traveled picture in history. It is based on Revelation 3:20 where Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”
Hunt painted a picture where Jesus, holding a lantern, knocks on a door of a home. The message is that it is up to the person on the other side of the door to let Jesus in.
Christ knocks gently on the door of our heart but it must be opened from the inside. This is also true of friendships between two human beings. Believe me, I know! I have scars to prove it.
I have often thought that there should be a blessing of friendships, but maybe this is not necessary, because friendship itself is a blessing!
On Valentine’s Day and each day, let us not take our friends for granted, but thank God for them every day.
Fr. Donald Lange is a pastor emeritus in the Diocese of Madison.