towards all—towards relatives and towards strangers—but without separating ourselves from the love of God out of love for them” (In Evangelia homiliae, 37, 3). In the last analysis, it is a matter of keeping the proper hierarchy of charity: God must take priority over everything. This verse must be understood, therefore, in the context of all our Lord’s teachings (cf. Lk 6:27–35). These are “hard words. True, ‘hate’ does not exactly express what Jesus meant. Yet he did put it very strongly, because