True Friendship

"When Jesus returned to Capharnaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by 4 men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After theyhad broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Child, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:1-5.

"Those men from Capharnaum were real friends to that poor fellow who could not reach the Master by himself. It is proper for the friend to do good to his friends, particularly to those who are in greatest need. There is no greater need than our need for God. So, the first sign of appreciation for our friends is that of bringing them closer and closer to Christ, the source of all good. We cannot be satisfied with their simply not doing evil, still less with them behaving badly. We must get them to aspire to the sanctity to which we have been called, all of us, and for which God will give them the necessary grace."
--taken from In Conversation with God, Vol. 3, page 29.