St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“ ‘The Son of man...a friend of tax collectors and sinners’.” Luke 11 v 19
Jesus, our destiny, He frees us from iniquity.
Jesus, God’s offer of mercy graced by liberty.
Jesus, the Son of God, come to us in the Eucharist.
What more could we possibly want from this share of holiness?
“The sweetness of a (wo)man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.” Proverbs 27 v 9
Jesus, God’s friendship once forsaken, replenished, restored.
Thus we can worship in all happiness.
Jesus ever amongst us encourages this,
So blessed we are to receive Him in communion,
Love’s perfected union of mankind with God.
“There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18 v 24
Grace is given as love is driven forwards in Jesus.
Our brokenness is helped, healed even by close friendship,
And the Lord Jesus, by the Spirit, is the Master of this.
His tireless devotion, love’s warmest emotion, a surpassing of charity
Offered as a clear token of holy love for us.

“...Don’t think that every gift of grace, every act of kindness, isn’t a quake in a heart that moves
another heart to give; that grows into an avalanche of grace. Don’t say this isn’t what a broken
world desperately needs; don’t say it isn’t how to change a broken world.”
Ann Voskamp “One Thousand Gifts”
“A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17 v 17
Lord Jesus, Friend of sinners, we worship and offer all thanks to our Father for You and all
You do to free us from our sinfulness. Thank You for accepting the †to free as from impurity.
Thank You for gifting us Yourself in holy communion whereby we can associate with You
intimately and unashamedly.
Enable us please to give open witness to Your love for us as we endeavour to “Speak each
Zechariah 8 v 16 (wo)man the truth to his (her) neighbour,” pursuing “Justice and peace” thereby.
May Your friendship overcome any shadow of doubt and disbelief amongst us as Your friendship
offers love to us, a free gift of our Father so merciful towards us.
How vividly Your friendship was revealed, not only in accepting the † of suffering on our
behalf, but whilst hanging there, Lord Jesus, in openly forgiving the repentant thief his
misdemeanours.
You promise paradise to all of us who believe in Your friendship, for “Mercy triumphs over
James 2 v 13 judgment,” You teach us.
Perhaps the friendship You offer us is summed up in one keynote of sacred Scripture: “ ‘Greater
John 15 v 13 love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his (her) friends’.”
This is exactly what You did for us at the † of perfect agape brotherly love. May we never lose
sight of this priority, our duty to love as You have loved us, freely, generously.

Thank You for being prepared to forfeit the joy of experiencing heaven, the honour of Your
position in heaven, the adoration due to You, all given up for us.
Surely Your passion in the Garden of Gethsemane, Your mockery, beating, scourging, nails
through Your hands, a spear piercing Your side, thorns cruelly pressing into Your head,
exemplifying the measure of Your love for us.
Why else Your †? Without love this makes no sense whatsoever. Not only are You Saviour, but
an example of what we are called to bear when on the receiving end of harshness, of falseness, of
recrimination.
Make it possible for us please, to evidence Your love for us by sharing in the same, our bodies
temples for Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love shared with us.
I ask in Your name of friendship Lord Jesus, the grace and guidance to love as You do, for You
John 12 v 26 say to us, “ ‘If anyone serves Me, let him (her) follow Me’.”
May our love ever be servant spirited through You. Please strengthen this as You share Yourself
with us in all the manifold blessings of holy communion.
By the inheriting of Your Holy Spirit, please empower us to “...add to our faith virtue ...
based on knowledge ... self control ... perseverance ...godliness .... brotherly (sisterly) kindness
2 Peter 1 v 5, 6, 7 ...love.”
I ask this “For if these things are ours, and abound, we will be neither barren nor unfruitful
Cont. in our knowledge of You, Lord Jesus” in our friendship with You.
Thank You for all You do for us to enrich our life. In it we taste of the generous goodness of
God. May many be blessed by such friendship wherein we discover a true wealth of holiness.
Amen.

Written in response to enjoying “Thank Heavens for Friends” compiled by Judith Merrell ISBN
978-1-909092-31-0, a gift from a long standing, highly valued friend, to whom in lasting friendship I
would like to say, quoting from the preface of the book, “I’d like to be the sort of friend that you
have been to me. I’d like to be the help that You’ve been always glad to be; I’d like to mean as
much to you, each minute of the day, as you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way.”
Edgar A. Guest

18.11.18