..."and a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the way of holiness; evil minded people shall not travel on it, but it shall be for those wayfarers who are traveling toward God. (Isaiah 35:8, adapted)



Sunday, August 21, 2011

Spiritual Friendship




Let this law, therefore, be held in respect among friends, namely, they expend themselves and
their goods for one another in such a way that he who gives preserves a cheerful aspect,
and that he who receives does not lose confidence. When Boaz observed the poverty
of Ruth, the Moabite, he spoke to her as she was gathering ears of corn behind his
reapers, consoled her and invited her to the table of his servants, and sparing in kindly
fashion her embarrassment, he ordered his reapers to leave ears of corn even
purposely so that she might collect them without shame. In the same way we ought
the more adroitly seek out the needs of our friends, anticipate their requests
by good services, and observe such demeanor in our giving that the recipient,
rather than the giver, appears to be bestowing the favor."

--Aelred of Rievaulx, "Spiritual Friendship" --

Aelred of Rievaulx was born in 1110 in Northumbria, UK. He became the
abbott of  the famed Cistercian Rievaulx Monastery in Yorkshire. His work on 
Spiritual Friendship is a classic. Rievaulx was dissolved by Henry the 8th
in the 1538. It's ruins still stand.

photo taken in Abergavenny, Wales

1 comment:

Sandi said...

Wonderful wisdom. Thank you for sharing. This morning, blogged about being invited to the Table of Life within all our moments. Your picture and the words from regarding friendship...I was nourished and blessed.