Today's Good News Reflection

Do you prefer some people over others? Sure! We prefer those who bring out the best in us. We prefer those who make our lives easier more than those who cause us grief. We prefer those who come to us bearing gifts and favors and special advantages.

Using the example of wealth, today's first reading points out that favoritism is a sin. But favoritism is not the same as having preferences. Preferences are natural; even Jesus had his preferences. He pulled Peter and James and John aside to join him privately on the mountain of his transfiguration and in the garden of Gethsemane.

Favoritism is more than a preference. Favoritism denies love to those who are not favored.

St. Teresa of Avila wrote: "For the love of God, keep free from partialities however holy they may be ... they are like poison ...." She explained that favoring a friend prevents us from loving everyone equally and unconditionally. "These friendships rarely serve to forward the love of God" (from "The Way of Perfection", Chap. IV,5).

James reminds us of Christ's command to "love your neighbor as yourself." The poison of favoritism is the toxin of not loving everyone equally. Special friends are good to have -- and necessary. Jesus embraced Peter, James and John as his closest friends. But when we deliberately ignore the needs of those who are not in our circle of friends, excluding them from our gift of love, we are committing the sin of favoritism.

The easiest way to learn what God's love for us is like is by experiencing unconditional love from close, Christ-centered friends. But as helpful and holy as good friendships are, to grow in holiness we must extend our love to others -- to those we prefer not to be with, who are outside our circle of preferred companions -- and we should make sure that we treat them with the same generous caring as we have been giving to those on the inside.

This goes against our natural desires. We need to continually ask the Holy Spirit to advise us on how be balanced. How much time should we give to our dear friends? Is there someone else who could benefit from our love and attention? How can we best serve them without neglecting our own genuine needs?

When we're truly trying to love everyone equally, our open attitude will attract many to us. They will see an example of what God's love is really like, and Jesus will embrace us as close friends. He already loves you as much as he loved Peter, James and John. Now become someone he prefers.

For more on this topic, see the Good News WordByte entitled "The Highest Form of Friendship": wordbytes.org/spiritual-growth/highest-form-of-friendship.