Holy Trinity School is committed to educating the whole person. As part of this mission, HTS has developed a guide based on the Jesuit Schools Network’s Profile of the Graduate at Graduation. This guide highlights five desirable characteristics: open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice.
Recently, Ms. Brady’s religion class reflected on community building. Building relationships is an important component of being a loving individual. Keep reading for Caitlin R.’s and Sarah F.’s thoughts on friendship in their final year at HTS.
By Caitlin R.
A quote that has stood out to me for a while is an old saying that says, “Good friends are like stars; you don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.” I agree with this quote because it is saying that when you have a true friend, you don’t need to see them to know they will always be there to support you. This quote represents what I want in friendships. I always want there to be trust between my friends and me, trust that they will always be there for me and that friends will be the shining stars in the night to light my path. One friend of mine is always there to support me and listen to me vent about the hard things going on in my life. She never gives up on me, even when we have arguments. We always get through our arguments, especially since she is one of the kindest and most understanding people I know.
Friendship to me is the family I choose. The people I am destined to meet and learn to love. Friends are the backbone to society. Without them, people would be miserable people slumping through life. Friends add light to society. I can be a good friend to others by showing them my light and supporting them through whatever they need. Jesus is a friend in a way by showing us the light in others and always being there for us to talk to. Jesus is one of the best people to talk to because he is always listening and protecting us. By being a true friend, you are going above and beyond to help your friends when they need it. The magis is about doing more, and there is no better way to do more than to do more for and with friends.
By Sarah F.
The quote I chose was, “God sends us friends to be our firm support in the whirlpool of struggle. In the company of friends we will find strength to attain our sublime ideal,” from St. Maximillian Kolbe. This quote stood out to me because I know it is true. Hard times are so much harder without someone like a friend to talk to. I believe that this quote is true. The reason that I believe this is that humans can’t survive on their own and need other people as friends. If we didn’t have friends, we wouldn’t have as much strength or confidence to get through hard situations. In my friendships, I aspire for several things. The first is honesty. Friends should never lie to each other. The second is comfort. Good friends should always feel comfortable being who they are with each other. Finally, friends should enjoy each other’s company and have fun hanging out with each other. One example of a book with a good friendship is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. In this book, one friend promises another that he would die for them or anyone they love. At the end of the book, the character dies for his friend’s husband. I can be a good friend to others by being sensitive to anything they might be experiencing in their lives and by cheering them up when they are sad. Jesus was a good friend because he always encouraged his friends or disciples and showed them the right thing to do. We can seek magis in a friendship by striving to be better people and helping each other to be better people. Friendship means many things to many different people. However, most importantly, we have to respect each other.
