Catholics Resources Addressing

Many people measure their happiness by the quality of their personal relationships. No one relates perfectly, and even those who relate well can see from time to time they need to improve. This book offers insights to help the reader to do precisely that. In all of our interpersonal relationships–especially in the family- we create an environment or a culture. Ideally, we create a culture of love- one where people have the experience they are loved and they matter, they are accepted for who they are, and they are forgiven. But friendship entails more than warm feelings and personal sharing. Sustaining such relationships and fulfilling the expectations that are naturally a part of them requires real strength of character, especially if we are to persevere in them through the years. When we succeed in creating a culture of love, people have the experience of being truly united with each other. Whether it is with a friend, a spouse, or with God, it is the experience of intimacy. We naturally desire it because we were made for it.

In these gentle, simple, yet profound conferences, Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C., explores both the necessity and the difficulty of Christian friendship. Friendship is the basis of all fruitful love, she wrote. Whether we are single or married, priest or religious, the Lord himself called us his friends and commanded us to be the friends of one another. Mother explained the reason this command is so difficult: knowing, understanding, and respecting another person are necessary for loving him, and these things take time. We must be friends if we are to love. With this small volume, Mother Mary Francis inspires us and helps us to be patient by revealing both the demands and the rewards of our vocation to love and be loved.

We all want true friends. But how many of us know what friendship is?

The modern world is full of temptations that can lead people not only into unhappy lives but also into the throes of addiction. Navigating the world alone is not an easy task for any of us. Why not let The Freedom to Love be a most valued companion in overcoming an addiction to a sinful life? By living your life guided by true Christian morality and spiritual principles, you can break free from temptations and have the courage to experience real love.