Pope: Jesus is our faithful friend even if we are not his

We have received friendship with the Lord as "destiny". "He does not deny this gift, he does not deny us, he awaits us until the end. And when we in our weakness turn away from Him, He waits, He waits, He continues to say: 'Friend, I wait for you. What do you want? Friend, why do you betray me with a kiss? '".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Jesus is our friend and remains faithful to his friendship even if we move away from him or even if we betray him, like Judas, said Pope Francis this morning at Casa Santa Marta.  His reflections at Mass were inspired by the today's Liturgy of the Word, where - on the feast of Saint Matthias - the word "destiny" is repeatedly used and we, in the words of the Pope, have received friendship with Jesus in "fate", that is, as "destiny" not "by chance".

"We - said Francis - have received this gift as destiny, the friendship of the Lord, this is our vocation: to live as friends of the Lord. The apostles were given the same gift, stronger still, but the same. All of us Christians have received this gift: openness, access to the heart of Jesus, to Jesus’ friendship. We have received the gift of your friendship. Our destiny is to be friends. It is a gift that the Lord always preserves and He is faithful to this gift ".

Often, however, we are not and we move away "with our sins, with our whims" but "He is faithful to friendship". Jesus therefore, as the Gospel of today (Gv 15,9-17) recalls, no longer calls us "servants" but "friends" and keeps this word until the end because he is faithful. Even with Judas: the last word he addresses to him, before his treason, is "friend". He does not tell him "go away". "Jesus is our friend. And Judas, as he says here, went for his new destiny, for his destiny that he freely chose, he turned away from Jesus. And that is apostasy: turning away from Jesus. A friend who becomes an enemy or a friend that becomes indifferent or a friend who becomes a traitor ".

In Judah's place - as the First Reading reads (Acts 1.15-17.20-26) - Matthias is then elected by chance "to be a witness of the Resurrection", "witness of this gift of love". "A friend - recalled the Pope - is the one who shares our secrets". "I have called you friends because I have made known to you all that I have heard from my Father", says Jesus in the Gospel. It is therefore a friendship that "we have received by fate, that is to say destiny", like Judas and Matthias had received it. "Let's think about this, He does not deny this gift, he does not deny us, he waits until the end. And when we in our weakness turn away from Him, He waits, He waits, He continues to say: 'Friend, I wait for you. What do you want? Friend, why do you betray me with a kiss? " He is faithful in friendship and we must ask him for this grace to remain in his love, to remain in his friendship, that friendship we have received as a gift from him ".