Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Friday of the 20th week in ordinary time, August 21, 2026, Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope

Delivered by Everine Lo from the Parish of Saint Theresia in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Ezekiel 37: 1-14; Rs psalm 107: 2-3.4-5.6-7.8-9; Matthew 22: 34-40.THE SECRET OF LOVE The theme for our meditation today is: The Secret ofLove. There was a young couple who has been dating for three years and they didnot reveal to anyone about their love relationship. They kept it as a secret.People might have seen them sometimes by chance, but they didn't know exactlythis secret love relationship. The fact that they managed to keep it secret wassomething that they worked it out together. They had their own way to make itremain secret.  There is another story. It was an affair of a husbandwho worked in an office among many women as his officemates. His wife andchildren at home did not really notice any signs of forbidden love or adultery, as the husband already engagedin a deep relationship with one of those women. This adultery has been tightlywrapped for certain years and none from the family could not even trace anysmell of it. The husband and his woman somehow managed to keep secret theirillicit relationship. These two stories show us how love is understood andpracticed differently from one person to another. Love is often understood inthe context of male and female relationship. The secret of love is also seen inthis line, that is between a man and a woman, or a boy and a girl. However,love should be also put in a broader understanding. For example, a person whohas an excessive self-love, he should be considered to have his own secretabout love. Parents' love for their children also has a secret that otherpeople do not know. Love among friends and associates has its secret too. From this perspective, we can say that love has manysecrets. We can also perceive that there is love that is shown with strongexpression, there is love that is expressed so little and there is even lovethat is weak or love that is expressed to gain negative results. And so thequestion is: what is the secret of love to be the standard for all of us, sothat everybody can rely on it and put all hopes on it?  For example, if someone is not happy withsuch little or poor expression of love from his neighbor, he resolves to lookfor the ideal love. That is the higher standard of love and its goal as well.We all believe that the ideal love is only in God because He his the fullnessof love and He is the source of love. In human standard, it happens that many acts of loveare not sincere or genuine, thus, they are to be hidden or kept secret. In thestandard of God, it is completely different. His love is expressed in all truthand goodness to be visible and open to the world and to all people. There is nohidden agenda or deception that His love need to be put in secret. The realsecret of God's love is not found in its secrecy, but in its essence andexpression. The Lord has shown and taught us that the secret of His love is theoffering of oneself for the sake of others. Jesus Christ is our perfect exampleof this offering of self. We just have to imitate and enjoy the secret love ofGod to every one of us. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O Jesus Christ, strengthen us always intruth and goodness of Your love. We thank You with our whole hearts for thisgift of love and for giving us ability to live in this love. Glory to theFather and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...