I am so fixed to call your church your bride, that she, whom grace has given to her devotion, may at last receive the honor due to that name. Thus that all those people serving your name may be part worthy of that bond of unity, and that your church may be gathered together unto you in fear, love, and obedience, that so long as you may walk continually in your footsteps, your people may depart fit to attain to the heavenly promises through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. Some of our companies have spoken about the mutual person, relation of feeling, being as human being in the community.

[01:16]

My house, we have spoken about the character of and world of friendship in all. And just in connection with that, I have read you a newsletter. Reese Cicero's famous book, The Algecia, just in order to serve him. curiosity finds out, because it's such a little thing, it only approaches a book like this under the pressure of a school, a little college, with that of course, what if one man later on approaches it again in the freedom of the, now of maturity, freedom of the

[02:18]

charity and the Holy Spirit that is given to us and then to sing how the Manifest King Cicero is going to be. Now the classical say that those who gave holy blood to many things in our western civilization Now, which also, in many ways, enters into the thinking of the church, and also into monasticism. Some of you I've seen here read Drunk and Havoc, who writes a book on deities, on spirituality, on spirit reflection, and he shows that he is well-trained. with the classics and read the book like this from season to season.

[03:20]

I think it's very important for us as monks and as contemplatives, because one has that freedom of belief, has that freedom of contemplation, but we need to let the heart expand and to let it be sorted in all these attempts and efforts and also the classical fiction in which those who are at the roots of our civilization have only human values, the character of mutual and noble human relations, and so The idea just came to me that I would try and speak to him, sure to be only a valid, though imperfect, wording. To give you a song, and share with you some of the thoughts that malevives he so has.

[04:26]

On Fridtj, and maybe God willing, it are only the odds who then value them and see them in the light of the Holy Spirit. Now, naturally, the man-like feature of all cultures, registered as such, and, of course, it's a good thing, tells of the experience of its own lot. Therefore, the whole dialogue on friendship is put into a marvel. Lelius, the great brain of Scipio. And thus, this friendship between Scipio and Lelius is quite an important history, a kind of classical example of this kind of human relation. So, it is proven therefore out of the living experience. But naturally, for that matter, the living experience are further paid.

[05:28]

It is The Natura, which really has the last root in Cicero, of friendship, Natura, but nevertheless also mentions that the most precious gift of the gods to man is certainly his friendship. Now when we look at such an attempt, as Cicero makes it here, for the Vitae faction, then we see immediately one thing, and that is, of course, something which appeals to us very much, and that is that we immediately see that the characteristic The essence of friendship is something that is completely removed from Utilitas, what he calls Util.

[06:31]

That means, from any kind of idea of, let us say, practical date, removed from that, what we call, the practical sphere. And I thought it was very important that we see that, and also as monks, and also for our own life, in that way, as contemporaries. It is unique in friendship, a human phenomenon, which is emancipated. from the immediate practical meaning. Friendship is, as Cicero describes it also, subliminal. It is the nothing else. Then the core conceals you in all things, human and divine. conjoined with mutual benevolence for goodwill and affection.

[07:37]

I have been trying to think that with the exception of wisdom, no little thing has been given to man by the devout in God. Friendship therefore a thing which cannot in any way be measured or put into the categories of duty. And anybody who would approach or try to approach friendship in this way, even if as he so put it somewhere, he fails to attain an obvious, most spontaneous friendship, which he so could desire in and for itself. and they do not learn from their own experience what the power of such friendship is, and are ignorant of its nature and its need. For everyone loves himself, not within view of acquiring some profit for himself from his self-love, but because he is dear to himself on his own account.

[08:54]

Unless this same field had been transferred to friendship, the real friend would never be found. For he is, and it were, an honest man. Love your neighbor as yourself. That is a word which of course immediately comes to our mind. And when we try to understand it, now, what does it mean? Lost your neighbor, haven't your shield. That means, as you lost your shield, how did you lost your strength? Some way for your own strength, not for your synergy strength. So we can't actually understand that immediately, and this whole deal of friendship came through the realm of fear and ignorance. region, a sphere of life, which is beyond all calculations of utility, which is beyond all this hope of gaining, but which is, as it says here, simply a spontaneous consensual bond with it.

[10:13]

Love your friend as you love yourself. Why do you love yourself? Love yourself is for your own sake, not for gain's sake. So, therefore, that makes, we hear the saying, the intimacy and affection, and its beauty. French engineers sprain themselves, the Cicero says again and again. What is pain? What is beauty? If not that, would you care? If not, just observe every consideration of selfish utility and gain. Then if we consider the practice of friendship, the root of friendship, and there again, the root of friendship is virtue and goodness. That is what Cicero and his older book constantly emphasize, worth through and goodness.

[11:20]

There is, of course, also, on the other hand, certain, as I said, distortions. of true French, that is, a companionship of vibes. There can be conspirators, conspiration, there can be the getting together of those who are engaged together in an evil undertaking in a plot of some kind. But that, naturally, is the caricature of friendship, because they are in kind of momentarily, temporarily coordinated. Mutinity, maybe, is the only basis. But the basis of friendship is goodness. It is the love and the pleasure of goodness and virtue. Nevertheless, even now, the essence of friendship is therefore mutual admiration.

[12:25]

Or as the teacher of anthrocynics, that's what he meant, it is really the jewel of friendship is the mutual, he calls it vericulture, the mutual reverence. Reverence in that sphere of goodness and virtue. Everybody in that way naturally exnaturalizes that, loves goodness and loves virtue. And there is the spring in this love of virtue is the root of faith. But that can be only They can only be translated into a real fullness of virtual sharing of the line of virtual levels. What is involved here in virtue, and that means the inner glory of man, the glory of

[13:28]

That is, friendship is the sharing of the light that shines for, for friends. And that, of course, cannot be done without this mutual development, without that mutual reference. For this same reason, of course, there must be a friendship that will say this loudly, We make this luminous line of mutual reverence. If you, let us say, translate that into the practical handling, let us say, of friendship, immediately then certain, or one can call it certain rules develop. And certain mistakes have to be avoided. For example, in the mutual love of friends, one has to be respected, since the relatives aren't there so much.

[14:37]

Friendship is guarded, or let's say, protected. by reverence always leaves intact the spontaneity of the other, the spontaneity of the other. Therefore, for example, one of the practical applications of that principle is that certainly one serves one's friend. Certainly one wants to do something good for him, but, as Thesodos says, always in proportion to what the other can bear. Bearing proportion in mutual guilt, which friends give to one another. It would be wrong if a friend, say, would, as it were, put this on say, and stifled the other one with the outgoing object.

[15:48]

He must consider what the friend can bear. The state of the watch is there of great importance. But then also in this mutual relation of friendship, that's really the only thing in which they can out-think each other. Together, it really again is only the field of virtue. Therefore, anything that the minds of which belong to the field of vice, were also to be at risk, is incompatible with speech. That is the reason also why not a simple and mechanical default can be established among One thing is true, that, let us say, the atmosphere of equality is true, made up of the distinguishes which.

[17:00]

But this equality is never a mathematical one, and it is never one which can be and should be calculated. What I want to say is that in the mutual living together of friends, and in their mutual serving one another, no business affair can be kept. I need this. Now, did my friend correspond? That means, did he do something to me? What is it to say, be the same scale of value? No vision, in that way, can be constituted. Whenever that is the case, of course, then the inner spontaneity, the splendor, one could say the inner abundance, which is essential to friendship, would be destroyed.

[18:02]

One cannot, in that way, calculate it, calculate on a mechanical disquiet. Friendship can also be between superiors and inferiors, certainly. But in this mutual atmosphere of equality, how is that equality of friendship established? It's established simply on the lines and in the ground of love. And love warms a man. law doesn't touch you. Therefore, the inferior should not envy the superior virtue of his friends. He is not a threat in any way. He should not feel, by that, suppressed. As, on the other hand, also the one who is superior should, as I said before, not drown the other one, the friend, his friend, who may be, in many cases, may be inferior to him, given the life of corruption in which he returns to him and in which he tries to give to him.

[19:23]

But he should there expect, then, the personal, as I say, independence And others forget the integrity of the faith. So the superior therefore, in the divine and relational faith system, should lift up the infirm through the reverence and respect he chose to. And he should therefore, in his own behavior also, encourage the spontaneity and the self-confidence of his friend. That is, in the moral travel of friendship. Besides, that is the role. It is based, and its stability is based on trust. Mutual trust. is the soul of touch. If two come together, they should not, as it were said, rush head-on into some relation and integral closeness which later on then hath not been maintained.

[20:37]

But they should first carefully, and in a good spirit of wisdom, have a taste, more than Can we have among ourselves that inner true bond of confidence, of fidelity, of loyalty? And that, of course, requires also a mutual confidence given in our stability on both arcs. Stability is a necessary element of friendship. A mental offensive cannot be simply based on the sudden response of passion. It can only be regulated by and ignored by a whisper, by an acuity which is beguiled and misleads the immediate emotional response.

[21:41]

But on the other hand, that's the other way in which Cicero acts. It is also not true, of course. As he says, so many in our times receive it when they approach the public friendship. They always say, the first thing is, be careful not to get too much input. No, says he so. Friendship is a real and true engagement. Those who would say that the first, I mean, the first aim to be followed for the individual, Marx goes and speaks against from his synchronicity, impersonal synchronicity. This sekultas should not be violated. The engagement should not be disturbed.

[22:45]

Sekultas is against importance. One should not, as these people who don't really understand the essence of fetching say, one should not be anxious. One should not get in such a state that one has anxiety about other people. But should ignorance in or out be and remain, as we would say, an element in us and others more or less self-sufficient? It is true, of course, that friendship, in some way, must be based, and is not central, of course, in the science that operates, friendship is not the result of the daughter, as he says, of poverty. It is not the result of the longing of weak souls for some support.

[23:51]

Friendship is something that can only grow in strength, that only grows in an atmosphere or in a wave of wishes to be shared. Friendship, therefore, involves in those which enter into reaching each one a certain inner stability and strength, an inner independence. It is not in any way a slave. But on the other hand, one cannot say that Frederic Berger is something which is beyond our emotion. As the one who is rich and who is wealthy, who in every way is self-sufficient, says, I have this security which reserves for my wealth, and therefore what I do is shake hands with many people, but never let anybody come too close to you.

[24:56]

Don't get involved. That is, of course, as Cecil O'Brien recounted, and it's a very interesting aspect, that is really the attitude of the timer, but not the attitude of the friend. And you know very well that, for example, also in the rule of St. Benedict, the attitude of the leader of this tyrant placed a certain role to imitate a religion which, of course, has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit and with God. But they are the tyrant who is concerned with his own inner independence, and to let or tease people at a certain distance. Is in some way really afraid of them, and doesn't want to commit himself, doesn't want to hinder any real entity. That of course is wrong.

[26:00]

Friendship is a regular mutual connection, but an engagement in trust, in that inner loyalty. But that loyalty also demands that, and that is where Cicero is very important. For him, friendship can never be separated from the other task. Trust, mutual trust, can only be there when it is true. Therefore, friends meet one another as the Cicero puts it, with their hearts open towards one another. And friendship cannot in any way exclude, for example also, a mutual admonition, a mutual criticism, saying the truth, and telling your friends the truth, provided that on the side of the war, who in that way admonishes his friends, that this admonition is not there in the form of vileness, of courteousness, of patience.

[27:22]

While on the other side of the wall who is? Do we spread faith exposed to the truth? There is also in him the other one with speaking letters and what we would call subjected to corfexio paterna. In that way, in Spartan friendship, besides sexual sex, it is impossible to have a friendship between two who don't want to come together on this ground of truth. Friendship cannot be based on flattery, and has nothing to do with flattery. Flattery is a form of friendship. And therefore, the truth that in actual years has been presented, and is correct to put it that way, must be presented on the one hand in a loving, understanding way, in a peaceful way.

[28:26]

in the way of consciousness, in the way of health. And it must be at the same time received also in a specific way. The one who receives the correction or the admonition for his strength should be concerned about the evil which is being corrected And it should be sad over death, but it should not be sad over the courage. And, of course, in the end, there are things we all know, from our own daily experience, that are tremendously important there. And the courage to adhere to a person somewhere, always something, that works. Then I stand apart between me and the alternative. Either I concentrate on my being hurt, and therefore take the correction as an offence.

[29:29]

Let the other one reduce to me. Or I concentrate on the object. What is here being exposed of the truth? If, in that way, the one who is corrected ought to be just under the claim of truth, then the friendship he has so thoroughly established in this mutual transcendence ensures. See to all, that if he survives, the qualities of which which says, in the sciences, two things. If brains, brains should have more characteristics, and that is, they should be simply chased, simplex, the simplest. Now, you know, they are available also from the retreats that we just had. from our dear friend John Leclerc, and there is of course also the word monarchus.

[30:37]

It's always that key word of simplicity, simplex. That simplicity in the line, in the realm of friendship, you know, here is where you have this inner fairness. That inner being deeply, objectively, let us say, willing to the truth. If somebody is involved not so much in the truth, but in himself, he becomes authentic. His whole way of thinking turns in a thousand twists. And these twists are all concentrated on himself. So, simplicity is the first, let's say, quality of one who imitates him. The other one is that it should be communis. Communis, how do we translate that?

[31:39]

Of course, he should be, one can say, that way, sociable. That means not in itself, hardened in a shell, not incapable in that way of letting the other in or going out of his shell. communes, yes. And the last, the last mark I give to French is that he is consensuel. Consensuel. Because French is essentially consensual. Now, what does that mean? Of course, a translation of the Greek, sympathy. Sympathetic. Sympathy. Nobody can enter in friendship simply on his own terms, and cannot maintain it, and lead it, and try to develop it simply on his own terms. He has to be consensual.

[32:41]

That means he has to be able not so much to impose his own opinion on the other one, but he has to be able to listen. and to listen again in a loving way, in a sympathetic way. In other words, we would call it, with deepest virtue and dispossession of understanding, has to be there. So these three marks, then, are the talks of a simplest, commonest consensus. We can see that all these, really, differentiations of truth, of which I could just give a few, you know, now, in a very deep way, really, open to us through Christ our Lord, who, at the last supper, in that sitting of intimate friendship, said that, I did not come to call you slaves, but now I call you friends.

[33:44]

I call you friends. And that friendship which Christ inspires to bring, that is, of course, the whole consideration of sincere desire. So before rules and laws are strived in the Kingdom, looking for the deeper accordance of friendships concerned, let us decode to this what are called natural laws. or, to call it, the obtuse. To us, of course, it is spiritual. We have received a new nature. And that new nature which we have received, there it is. Decompensification is a divine nature. And it's our being baptized. It's our being made open thinking. And receiving can do with our reality. the reality of grace. And that reality of grace, as we have seen it before, is the likeness of the Holy Trinity in our souls.

[34:48]

And this, the Holy Trinity, is, one can say, in France as Christians, the innermost form, the innermost form of friendship. Friendship as faith. printed as real communio, as all Christian communion, supernatural communion, is rooted in the communion of the Three Divine Persons among themselves. And this new root of friendship naturally then is there in us through what we call sanctifying grace. And that means the living image of the three divine persons in our soul that naturally then comes to the fore in us through the beta cones. Baptism of a weeper immediately, therefore, leads us into the abundance of the metacommunist of the life in the Church, in the Eucharist, and for us, as monks, else in the life, in the monastic community.

[36:05]

Therefore, we want to run, whom it is, coming next. But this cognome of his, cognes, that means man of the cognate, it must be also consenciente. That means that deep inner center. And that deep inner center, really, which is, you can say, the heavenly spirit of the monastico. which in our analysis for us is based on the fact that all of us are in and through Christ sons, children of the same heavenly Father. And that in this inner communitas and that inner sympathy we are bound to one another. So, let us take these games outwards as another little way. We try to build up our own community, and at most, we try to also to develop the same, deepen our concepts about these.

[37:18]

basic human relations, we certainly have all these worlds, you know, that the antiquity, and also rather classical antiquity, gives to us. But then, up there, we also can see how all that, nothing of that is lost. also in our state. As a monk, when it is really and truly transfigured, and that is especially the case of friendship, which is in us transfigured to include the power of the one who is our true friend, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[37:58]

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