Reflecting on the Word

By Rev. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R.

A 2006 movie called Love, Actually has one of the best openings in recent years.  It begins with two young people running toward each other and falling into each  other’s arms, kissing joyfully. Then you see a mother being hugged by her two little girls, then two older women, perhaps sisters, embracing. As these scenes  give way to others, you become aware all this takes place in an airport at the arrivals gate. Accompanying these images is a voiceover. 

Whenever he feels down about the condition of the world, the speaker goes to  the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport in London. Despite the fact that there is so  much hatred and greed in the world, he says, Heathrow is one place where things  seem different. At Heathrow love is everywhere. 

All the while you hear this voice, you are watching people rush into each  other’s arms. For a full minute you see the world as a welcoming, warm, loving  place. You know it’s something of a set-up because who goes to meet people at airports other than family, good friends, people in a loving relationship? But isn’t  this God’s plan for the world, what God wants most from us: love God; love one  another. 

The voiceover concludes by noting that right before the planes hit the Twin  Towers in New York City, all the calls that went out were messages of love. People  chose to have their final words be professions of love. Making that choice on a  daily basis is what makes us perfect—that is, full-grown, complete, holy. 

Consider/Discuss

  • Do you accept Jesus’ idea of what it means to be “perfect”? 
  • If there is someone who has given me reason not to love them, can  I pray for them?  

Responding to the Word

We pray to God to continue to pour the Holy Spirit into our hearts so that  we can love with God’s own love, when our own ability to love fails us. We pray  that we can grow into that full maturity that we see in Jesus, who prayed for his  enemies from the cross.

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