Fr. Fred WEKESA, OSA

Discover what kind of friend are you and what kind of friends you have. At the beginning chapters in this book, a summarized biography on Saint Augustine, his works and some spiritual heritages have been discussed. The most important being his understanding on friendship. However, an overview of friendship also from other points of views has been briefly looked at like biblical, philosophical and cultural understanding on friendship. The concept of friendship exists in all cultures but with different variations on how it is exercised and the levels of friendships. According to Augustine’s experiences, friends can be seen in three basic frameworks which are public, social and intimate friendship. Majority of friends are on the public level because interactions during events are non-stop in life. Augustine redefined friendship by using ciceronian terms such as agreement of things divine and human with mutual goodwill and love as depicting true friendship. Friendship is one of the methods that Augustine used to evangelize and win converts. Friendship is needed in all aspects of our lives as discussed in the previous chapters. It is an essential means to form a community and also to live in the community. However, there are challenges in living this friendship but through reconciliation and forgiveness, one has to bear the burden of one another because a burden shared is lighter when carried. In the Modern days, majority of people prefer Hybrid friendship that is both offline and online friendships. However, online friendship should be taken as a means to meet face to face and not as never to meet. Finally, having Friends of St. Augustine in our Augustinian parish communities and other parishes is basically a living testimony of Augustinian spiritualities. By establishing Friends of Saint Augustine groups in different parishes, that will create a way or a bridge or a plate in which Augustinians are able to share their Spiritual richness with Christian faithful alongside preaching or giving retreats hence living community life. Friendship breaks all barriers to construct a ladder of sharing, communion life, love, peace and above all fraternal life towards God.