Friendship

Sirach 7:5-17: "A kind mouth multiplies friends, and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.
"Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant;
"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure.
"A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.
"A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds;
"For he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself."

The Book of Sirach derives its name from the author, Jesus, sone of Eleazar, son of Sirach.
The Catholics include it in their Bibles and use it extensively in their liturgy.
The author, a sage who lived in Jerusalem, was thoroughly imbued with love for the law, the priesthood, the temple and divine worship.
Sometimes we can garner wisdom by reading divinely inspired words which aren't included in our Protestant Bibles.
Indeed, faithful friends provide us shelters from the storms of life and the treasures they imbue are priceless.
No one can measure friendship by a monetary value.
Faithful friends are life savers sometimes.
A faithful friend will go the extra mile to aid us when we need it the most.
I've been rescued on numerous occasions by faithful friends who altruistically provided me with rides, food, clothes, hospitality, camaraderie and genuine unsolicited friendship which they never expected to be repaid, except by just a simple thank you.
God intercedes in our lives through friends.
We should reciprocate and pass on our friendship to others who are in need of just a friendly gesture.
Some of us can't provide friendship through monetary means but we can be good neighbors through our Christian love.