St. Ambrose was a holy bishop of Milan, Italy, who wrote many inspiring letters. In a letter “On the Duties of the Clergy,” Ambrose focuses on friendship and remaining faithful to your friends.
In particular, he explained the importance of remaining faithful to friends, in good times and in bad.
Do not desert a friend in time of need, nor forsake him nor fail him, for friendship is the support of life … If friends in prosperity help friends, why do they not also in times of adversity offer their support? Let us aid by giving counsel, let us offer our best endeavors, let us sympathize with them with all our heart. If necessary, let us endure for a friend even hardship.
St. Ambrose firmly believed that friends are a vital part of life, especially having friends with whom you can share everything.
Preserve, then, my sons, that friendship you have begun with your brethren, for nothing in the world is more beautiful than that. It is indeed a comfort in this life to have one to whom you can open your heart, with whom you can share confidences, and to whom you can entrust the secrets of your heart. It is a comfort to have a trusty friend by your side, who will rejoice with you in prosperity, sympathize in troubles, encourage in persecution.
If we want our own friends to be faithful to us in our time of need, should we not be faithful to them in their need?
When a friend reaches out to you and needs your help, do what you can to support them, being a true friend to them.
And today we celebrate...