Serving Christ and Connecting Catholics in Western North Carolina
I was blessed recently to accompany 13 of our students on a retreat to Folly Beach, the theme of which was holy friendship. Students shared with one another about how friendship is a form of love, and the importance of having healthy friendships with yourself, with others and with God. It is this latter form of friendship that I’ve been reflecting on lately.
Jesus’ encounter with two erstwhile disciples on the road to Emmaus provides a beautiful template for the Church’s work of accompaniment across the ages. The Lord walks with the couple, even as they move away from Jerusalem, which is to say, spiritually speaking, in the wrong direction. He does not commence with a word of judgment, but rather with attention and quiet encouragement.