Dear Parish Family, Friendships enrich our lives in so many ways and contribute to improving our health. Studies show adults with strong social connections have a reduced risk of significant health problems. Friends celebrate good times and support each other during difficult or sad times. They help us to cope! Zadie Smith a writer who is sometimes compared to Charles Dickens or Salman Rushdie, asks the question " What will you do when the chips are down, my friend?" For many of us, our friends are the lifeline to help get us through our challenges. God reminds us throughout the bible, of the many obstacles to navigate the road He has laid out for us, with the assistance of friends. A GPS or Waze just can't help with this. It is said: "True friendship is seeing the Face of God in another." He placed people in our lives to help us see His goodness and love. Friends are a real treasure! At a recent symposium on death and dying, it was emphasized the need to select a patient advocate to carry out our wishes. However, the most important part of the selection was to choose someone who would always have OUR best interest at heart and often this is a dear friend. Think of the friends who impact your life. Do you share with them, how much they mean to you? Do you see friendship as an instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauty of others? We have heard the cliché "we choose our friends, not our family." In Proverbs 18:24 it is revealed, "One who has an unreliable friend soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother or sister." I hope everyone has that kind of friend! Let's pray to invite others into our circle of friends and remember to acknowledge the love we have for them. Mary Jo