Word to the Wise
Friday, August 25, 2023 - Friday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
[Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22 and Matt 22:34-40]"Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God." [Ruth]
Many are the weddings I have celebrated where some version of Ruth's words were sung. The sentiment is appropriate to the occasion and everyone wishes the couple every success, but the statistical probabilities, in our USA at least, make it almost a 50-50 bet. But the words of Ruth should not be allowed to be hijacked just for weddings. They were not spoken in a nuptial context but in a context of a family/friendship relationship. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi, whose two sons had married Moabite women, one of whom was Ruth. Naomi lost husband and two sons and was preparing to seek life with her own family. She told her two daughters-in-law they were free to return to their original families as well. One of them did so, but Ruth loved her mother-in-law and remained with her, expressing their relationship in the famous words quoted above. The kind of love and loyalty they express is a precious gift.
Friendship that rises above cordial acquaintance to the point where the friends become "family" to each other can be a powerful love. It is not a marital bond but it is a sharing of life in all its ups and downs. And, yes, it is possible to be "friends" with God. On any level, it requires intentionality. St. Augustine spoke of love as an act of will!!! Ruth showed this in her choice to stay with her mother-in-law. Whether the friendship is with God or another human person, the loyalty, trust and love does not just "take care of itself." It requires a desire to "stay in touch" on a level that travels with one no matter where one may be. I think one of the best things one can wish for someone else is that they have close friends. God offers this gift of love but it takes courage and trust to open it and our lives to someone else. AMEN