My dear Brothers and Sisters,
From my relationship with friends, I see them there with me in times of Joy and in sorrow. I want to think this is true for all of us. One incontestable test of genuine friendship is that element of reciprocity in almost all situations and circumstances. Relationships with friends often transgress relentless communication and camaradi. Needless to say, lessons on joining the Order teach us the essence of true heroic friendship.
Notwithstanding the many friends the Lord has endowed us with, it should not be too difficult for us to identify any one of them as the best amongst our best of friends. We communicate so freely and regularly with such friends to the extent that they know our movements through put. More often than not, our best friend will accompany us on many errands and could be a point of contact in reaching us.
My question to you by now should be obvious. How many of us will identify our spouses as our best friends?. Do we see them as friends to start with let alone best friends? Do we chat with them and wait for the other to share a meal together? Do we confide in them when we need advice or at least their opinion on something weighing on us?
My dear brothers and sisters, as we conclude our Lenten season and enter into the Passion Week, many of us have made the effort to Reconcile our all with God our Father. In the various forms of restitution we have indulged in over the Lenten season, have we looked at our relationships with our spouses?.
For the rest of the days ahead through to the Easter Tridium, I invite you to dedicate this time to our spouses. Let us make a determined effort to mend those simmering tensions between us. This calls for humility and a genuine sense of forgiveness. Let us remember that in our oneness in Christ, we are two halves. Each half cannot always be expected to carry the same periscope as the other seeing things and interpreting them the same way. This is where respect for each other is critical.
Two are better of than one because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up, but if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad because there is no one to help him. If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself? Ecclesiastics 4: 9-11.
I take this opportunity to encourage you all to take full advantage of the season to reassert our spouses in the rightful places in our lives.
May the Glory of the expectant Eastertide lighten our paths. – Amen
Fraternal Greetings,
SIR KNT BRO. ANTHONY KEMAVOR
(SUPREME KNIGHT)