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The deep sense of friendship, the basis of fraternity
In this month of January, dedicated to the World Day of Peace there are a couple of interesting aspects to consider among many others-such as fraternity and friendship








Fraternity: a common yearning for humanity

It seems to me that many remember the famous poem of the German writer, Federico Schiller (1759-1805), which inspired the musical genius Ludwing Van Beethoven to compose the fourth choral part of his Ninth Symphony, commonly called "The Hymn to Joy."
Although the background is the vehement dream of the poet and also the impetuous musician to arrive the day when there are no more wars or hatreds or vengeance or grudges or discords but await with longing a new stage of maturity and civilization in which humanity lives as a united family, as brothers in concord, tranquility, and peace.

A twentieth century: as surprising as contradictory

In the twentieth century, which offered us surprising advances in science and technology, it has been -however- one of the cruelest and bloody centuries by the number of wars, massacres, and inhuman acts.
And what more inhumane act is it not that parents, doctors, nurses, civil authorities, legislators are plot and deny the first of the rights of every human being, such as the right to life of the unborn? Many millions of abortions have been committed all over the world since they were legally authorized until today. The figure is horrifying and produces sickness (confront www.google.com.mx) and, if it were not enough, it is a "silent war" where every day thousands of victims are executed and "without being news" to the media.
The same "Cold War" (1945-1989) had nothing "Cold" since it was living in continual anxiety over the danger of a nuclear war, as occurred in October 1962 when a spy plane discovered that Cuba had nuclear missiles pointing to the American Union and also surprised by a long line of Russian ships heading for the Caribbean island, ruled by Fidel Castro, to further increase that lethal weaponry.
Another issue was the arms race that broke out between the two blocs: the USSR and the Americans. Little was the taste of the United States to discover the hydrogen bomb, more powerful and destructive than the atomic bomb and, in a relatively short time, the Soviet Union already had the formula and had tried with great success this new weapon tremendously deadly in a very distant area and sufficiently discreet in its vast territory.

Similarly, there was a desperate competition to show who dominated airspace better, and, in July 1969, the United States took the first three men to the moon. But, at the same time, Russia conquered-politically or by force-other territories in Asia and Africa and introduced Marxism-Leninism into the major universities of the western world, creating a great ideological influence in universities and, therefore, in teachers, intellectuals and students. That curiously, despite its thunderous failure as a political system, persists in some rulers, professors, and intellectuals from various countries.

A universal cry for peace

"Enough hatred and so much war shedding innocent blood!" it was the clamor of the new generations. The "Great hero" of the Second World War as it was the American Union, became the most criticized government under the leadership of President Richard Nixon, who personally hated the "pacifists" because, according to him, he did not have a broad view of the Political events. He Held the "eternal excuse" to justify his armed intervention in southwestern Asia, and that "a containment dam had to be built so that communism would not advance to Oceania."

Of Course, Nixon didn't convince anyone. Especially when they arrived in the North American territory hundreds and hundreds of coffins of soldiers killed in combat, with the pain and weeping drowned of their parents and brothers and relatives, who wondered, Our son died for the good of the fatherland? And it began to question this conflict of war.

It Was the same young Americans who showed up at the Capitol, in the universities, in the public squares, in the streets; Through art, music, literature, theatre, etcetera; Insisting and manifesting in his speeches and writings that wanted to live without absurd wars and peacefully.

More than ever there was much talk of "fraternity" not only within the national territory but at the international level, without making distinctions of race, language, religion, nation... A musical icon of that time, John Lennon launched to the international music market songs like: "Imagine", "give a chance to peace", "Merry Christmas, the war is over"; Bob Dylan and Joan Baez sang their protest melodies as "a Hard rain will fall", "times are changing", "through the observation tower"; George Harrison published as a soloist his first recording material inviting the young people to reflect: "In This life, all things happen" and the former Beatle suggested to go frequently to God, with his well-known melody: "My Sweet Lord", to have a true peace Inside.

What is fraternity?

But that "fraternity" so trumpeted for those years, sounded like a hollow word and emptied of its true sense, semantically worn, too superficial, without a richer and deeper content. According To The Dictionary: "Fraternity" is "the union between the brothers or among the members of a society and is the noblest of social obligations".

And getting more into the subject, what is the difference between fraternity, fellowship, camaraderie, a colleague of the profession, school mate, and true friendship?

The answer is that it is fundamentally defined in the bonds of the union that is generated. You can have a lot of "classmates" in elementary school, and when you change to another high school, forget about them and live with the new students. There was no background friendship There. You can live an atmosphere of "fellowship" in a football team and, at the end of the league, those links can easily disappear. Or, you can have many "colleagues" at work, and, with shifts or jobs in other companies or cities, the whole relationship of coexistence could disappear.

All of this would mean that these personal interactions did not generate firm bonds of unity from one person to another. How to move from simple coexistence to true friendship?

When coexistence becomes a friendship

The first thing to say is that people are not "a number More in statistics "but human beings with a biographical profile, with certain tastes and hobbies, with noble feelings and affections, with a specific family, with certain" hobbies "...

How does a friendship start to develop? When, in addition to the simple treatment, points of interest in common are sought. For example, in the professional field. Doctors who have the same specialty in cardiology, it is easy to build friendships for life. Because They spend many years working and living together. Or, professionals who studied the same career of architecture and, month after month, meet to breakfast to keep the friendship, you can not only preserve but increase the friendship.

This regard parents play an important role for their children to cultivate friendships. If you say you have made friends with two good students, parents can take the initiative and suggest:-why not invite them to eat at home to meet us too? And, almost always, that kind of detail is reciprocated by another invitation from the parents of those friends and they develop friendship bonds because there is no longer only friendship between these young people but also among their dads.

When It comes to adolescence, friends share ideals and goals in common and that leads to closer ties of unity. Also, it is the age when the young person feels the need to have "a group" of friends and, with the awakening of the affection, the need to look for a bride.

If these feelings are shared, naturally and in a healthy environment, numerous groupings of lifelong friends can be generated.

Few or many friends?

I Have a good friend, a prolific writer, who when he was young liked a melody of Brazilian singer and songwriter, Roberto Carlos, whose letter said: "I Want to have a million friends/And so stronger to sing."

When He was questioned whether having so many friends was not against the selection of them, he answered with an air of security: "It is to be open to making true friendships, not only in youth but throughout life."

And I have always thought that this is a great truth because, as time passes, a person can fall into the famous "resistance to change": some do not want to leave their narrow circle of family members; Others, are conformed to have few friends; And there are those who strive to cultivate always new friendships because they are convinced that each friend is a great treasure that enriches the personality itself.

Friends Forever

I was told by a teacher that for him it was a real delight to know and to try, every school year, not only to his new students but also to his parents, and above all, to give continuity to that treatment. Not forgetting, for example, their birthdays and saints. And those of the later generations usually sought him to invite him to eat, to dine and, in general, to live with their respective families. And It is that this professor had important qualities like: to know to listen, to understand, to correct, and to give timely and correct advice.

There Is A successful popular song, titled "Friends Forever." It Is Perhaps the longing for every person to cultivate friendships that last throughout existence. And thanks to the advances of cybernetics and social networks, many have commented to me that, for example, on Facebook write the name of a good friend who for decades who do not know anything about it and would like again to come into contact with those old friends and, to his surprise, he soon finds him working in France or the United States and so many old friendships are resumed.

But, undoubtedly, the most valuable thing in a person is to transcend and realize that it was created by a Supreme Being who loves him with infinite tenderness and has been able to give his own Son to die on a Cross, to obtain the forgiveness of our sins, and thus open the gates of heaven.

The friendship with God for the lay faithful, concreted in the daily treatment with the Lord during his daily work and his family and social duties. And frequenting the confession and the Eucharist, that is undoubtedly the most sublime fact that a human being can have on this earth because the Holy Trinity dwells in that soul, and in a mysterious but real way, it manages to ' become a goddess ', that is to say, by striving to be ' Another Christ "It becomes an instrument of God at the service of all his brethren, men. Without a doubt, a person who is "Goddess" is often a focus of attraction because friends seek him to receive his spiritual advice, because it transmits peace and serenity and, almost immediately, generates new friendships for his frank, kind and cheerful treatment and because he is convinced that the Love for God does not fit in a single breast but must be disseminated and explained the reason for that deep joy.

Bibliography to consult:

-Espinoza Aguilera, Raúl, "Key Ideas on life and abortion", Editorial Minos III Milenio, Mexico, First reprint 2009.

-Melen, Tomás, "Eight Lessons on Human Love", Ediciones Rialp, Madrid, 1993.

-Lewis, C. S., "Los Cuatro Amores", Ediciones Rialp, Madrid, 1994.

-Wojtyla, Karol, "Love and Responsibility", Editions Reason and Faith, Madrid, 1978.

-Thibon, Gustave, "Between Love and Death", Ediciones Rialp, Madrid, 1977.

-Ocáriz, Fernando, "Love God, Love Men", Word Editions, Madrid, 1974.

-Vázquez de Prada, Andrés, "Study on Friendship", Ediciones Rialp, Madrid, 1975.
-Covey, Stephen R., "The 7 Habits of the Effective People", Editorial Paidós, Mexico, 1994.

-Escrivá de Balaguer, Josemaria, "Friends of God", Editorial Minos III Milenio, Mexico, 2013.

-Espinoza Aguilera, Raúl, "When God knocks at your door. Some conversions of Illustrious personalities ", Editorial Minos III Milenio, Mexico, 2009.

-Fernandez Carvajal, Francisco, "To Speak with God", Editions Word, Madrid, 1991.








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