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Recently, I came across a survey conducted at random, and the question was, “What are the three things you would save first should your house be on fire?” It showed many interesting points. For example, there was one woman who said, “I will first save my fuchsia pink lipstick”. Another man said, “I will save my toupee.” But there was a common answer, among the three named by the respondents. Two of the items ended up to be: “I will save the family photographs” and, “I will save the letters I have received”.
It was very consoling and interesting because it showed that in spite of the materialism of our society, people still value the things that have to do with relationship. Why will people save letters? Why will people save photographs? Because they remind us of lasting relationships. Looking at photographs, we remember our friends. Looking at photographs, we remember our happy situations. Looking at photographs, we think and hope that our relationships will carry on.
When photographs get burned, when letters get lost, our relationships eventually get affected as well. Brothers and sisters, relationships are important. Not only are our relationships with one another important but specially our relationship with God. And these kinds of relationships are what rusts cannot corrode, what moths cannot destroy, what thieves cannot steal.
Ironically, dear friends, I want to remind you that the things we value, the things that can get lost, the things that can be stolen are also the things that are easy to replace. You can replace money. You can replace a house. You can replace a gold watch, a gold ring, a gold earring, but you cannot replace friends. You cannot replace your relationship with God. Even if your husband or wife dies and you remarry, that kind of relationship is a new one. There is only one relationship for everyone because each one of us is unique.
Today, at Mass, let us lift up to the Lord our special persons – persons whose relationships we really value. Let us lift up the persons we have taken for granted because they are always there when we need them. Let us pray for the persons we have neglected because we see them too often, much too often. And, at the end of our lives, let it not happen that we will say. “Of course, I love you, my fault is that I did not show it”
Let us lift up to the Lord our relationships and let us beg the Lord to bless each of us.
FRIENDSHIPS
Jn 15:13
Jesus In My Heart
