Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the second week of Lent, March 6th, 2026.
The title for our meditation today is: Love Returned with Hate. For believers and followers of Christ, this sentence does not belong to the teachings of the Lord and Church. On the contrary, what the Lord and Church teach is love in return or love that produces goodness, or love brings joy. Although it is not God's teaching, sacred scriptures and teachings intend to describe how evil and bad our life is if it is ruled by sin. Envy, hatred, anger, arrogance, cruelty, and violence are the sins that destroy life.
Today's readings from the bible tell the story about the acts of love from generous people who show the importance of love and mercy of the heavenly Father. That act of love is reciprocated with hatred and anger that lead to murder and destruction. The target of hatred and anger is the messenger who carries the message of love to be conveyed or shared. Jacob sent his beloved son Joseph, to signify his own coming to meet and serve his children in the field. But Joseph was captured, tortured, and sold. The master's messengers to the vineyard were persecuted and destroyed one by one. The last messenger was his own son who was tortured and killed by his trusted workers and servants.
During this Lent the call to reflect on the love returned with hate is intended to reinforce our obligation to do some actions. The first, we must avoid our inability to distinguish between love returned with love from love returned with hate. Those who profess faith in God but cannot discern it accordingly, and then deliberately reciprocate love with hatred, are not really the followers of Christ.
Second, as believers our obedience demands that our choice is to do the will of God. We choose love returned with love. Kindness reciprocates kindness. Joy reciprocates joy. In order to choose this, our closeness and intimacy with God is essential, and not the contrary such as dicouragment, dryness, and distance. Communication with God in a personal and sincere manner often become the most common ways to do.
Third, Jesus' own real experience dealing with His enemies had indeed testified how love returned with hate is. He reveals that this experience will be our experience too, because we follow Jesus’ way of life. Jesus was not afraid and ran away from the powerful attack of hatred and threats. The more hatred was ignited, the greater love was coming. The more violent treatment He received, the more patience, steadfastness of faith, and forgiveness were shown in return. This is the way He teaches us and we are required to do the same.
Let us pray. In the name of the Father... Almighty and everliving Father, may Your Spirit always illuminate our minds and hearts so that we can always discern good from evil. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...
