Acquiring Spiritual Friendships:
St. John tells us, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15). So many of our friendships are with the world. St. Teresa of Avila offers the following guidelines for spiritual friendships, or friendships with God as the focus. Here are her suggestions on how to bring God’s love into our friendships
o 1. Attraction is not based merely on physical beauty or mere natural qualities
o 2. Friends find that they cannot be interested in anything unless it leads to God
o 3. Friendship is selfless
o 4. Friendship welcomes being admonished if we stray into the world or away from God
o 5. Friendship is permanent because it is based on He who does not change
o 6. Friendship must be experienced
Monday, November 8 –
