Introduction to the Devout Life: Third Part--Chapter 17

  Hello, fellow Pilgrims, my friends. Today, we start the first of six readings on friendship, so clearly this is something that St. Francis considers an important topic and not one that we often hear about.  For anyone that currently has or has had teenagers, you know that your kid can be heavily influenced by their friends—for good or for bad. Because acceptance is so important to humans, it is not unusual for us to become friends with someone just because they may accept us, even if they aren't necessarily good for us.  We teach our kids lots and lots of things, but often times, we neglect to teach them the truth of what a good friend is: A good friend is not just simply someone who accepts you. A good friend is someone who truly wills goodness for your life.  St. Francis is going to talk to us today about bad and frivolous friendships. So, let's turn to Chapter Seventeen of the Third Part.