“Genuine friendship, and certainly marriage, is not fundamentally
a matter of seeking a positive experience, but of committing oneself
to a person and to the good that will come from the relationship.” -Msgr.
Halfacre
Friendship is the foundation of all personal relationships,
including marriage and our relationship with God. In all interpersonal
relationships—especially in the family—there is an environment or a culture. Ideally, we are to foster a culture of love--one where each
person can truly experience acceptance, forgiveness, and being loved. Sustaining such relationships and fulfilling
the expectations that occur naturally requires real strength of character,
especially to persevere through the years.
In Genuine Friendship, Monsignor Halfacre
discusses the qualities of true friendship and also includes the writings of
popular saints and authors such as Aristotle, St. Augustine, and C.S.
Lewis. Even those who relate well with others can see a need to improve
from time to time. Genuine Friendship offers practical
suggestions to further strengthen or repair our friendships.
“The author has done his work in a very competent and imaginative way. I
have been studying relationships all my life, and I learned a number of things
from this book. The underlying message
of the book is that we can indeed grow in the ability to relate well and
communicate love. It is full of stories and examples that will inspire you to
do just that.” -Fr. Benedict J.
Groeschel, C.F.R.