Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17 / Mark 10:1-12
One of the deepest needs of every human being is the need for companionship.
No human being can ever stand being alone for too long.
To be in solitary, either by choice or by circumstance, is not in the nature of being human.
So we need to be in the company of others, whether as a family or with friends.
The 1st reading tells us about the types of friends that we will come across.
Some will be friends with us for their advantage, and will not stand by us in our day of trouble.
A faithful friend is a sure shelter, a rare treasure, beyond price and no measure of his worth.
And how are we ever going to find a friend like that?
The 1st reading tells us this: Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends, for as a man is, so is his friend.
So whether in family relationships, or marital relationships or in our social relationships, when we fear the Lord, He will send us true friends.
So, let us be true and faithful to the Lord, and we will have true and faithful relationships.