Friends

My first group of friends we were all born within 2 months of each other and lived on the same alley.

Jennifer Gross, Amy Gilbronson, myself and Amy Konick

Longest friendship Julie Werp Matten

We met in line the first day of kindergarten and are still friends today!

This Lent, I have been spending considerable time in prayer with the scripture passages that refer to the time between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. One theme that keeps coming up for me is the role of the Christ's friends in the events that took place. At times they were confident and supportive. At times they were doubtful and scared. At times they were heartbroken and desperate and at times they were overjoyed and filled with hope. It was his friends who shared his last meal and it was his friends who stood at the foot of the cross as he took his last breath. And when Christ rose from the dead it was to his friends that Christ returned to continue sharing the good news.

These reflections have then led me to reflect on all the marvelous people in life who I have been blessed to call friends. In these last few days of Lent it is for all of them that I pray and I offer this blessing from John O'Donohue.

May you be blessed with good friends. May you learn to be a good friend to yourself. May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is great love, warmth, feeling and forgiveness. May this change you. May it transfigure that which is negative, distant or cold in you. May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship and affinity of belonging. May you treasure your friends. May you be good to them and may you be there for them; may they bring you all the blessings, challenges, truth, and light that you need for your journey. May you never be isolated. May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam cara (soul friend).