by Vicky Otto, Director of Precious Blood Companions

One of my favorite movies is called “Love Actually.” At the beginning of the movie you see a large crowd gathered at the airport. As the camera pans across the crowd everyone’s face displays a sense of anxiety and stress. The second time the camera pans across the crowd the faces begin to change. Suddenly they see their loved ones that they have been waiting for as they departed the plane. Faces were transformed from tense and stress filled to faces filled with love.

I can only imagine what it must have been like for the disciples as they saw Jesus transformed. As one author wrote, “Jesus was transformed by his love for God and by God’s love for him.” Just as in the airport when faces were transformed from stressed filled to love filled Jesus was transformed because of God’s love for him. But like the disciples, we are not mere spectators in the gospel. With the disciples, we are given a glimpse of Jesus’s identity which in turn will allow each of us to experience the transforming power of God’s love.

Every day we get a glimpse of the God’s love. When? When we experience the love and care of a family member. When we experience people reaching out to help someone else. When we experience the beauty of a wonderful sunrise, sunset. When we experience the peace that comes from our time in prayer. I’m sure that you can list more. As a community that is bound together by Precious Blood spirituality any time we reach out to another to share the gift reconciliation we offer that person the same glimpse that the disciples had. But we are human and there are times when we block those opportunities to revel in these experiences. Sometimes we intentionally close ourselves off to listening to Jesus, to all that he invites us to and that he invites us to do. Sometimes we don’t want have that total trust in the love of Jesus. During this season of Lent, we are given the time to consider what parts of our lives needs transformation. Reflect on these times that we have blocked things out or that we haven’t been open to listening to Jesus. May each of us recommit ourselves to trust in the love of Jesus and to courageously step out to share this love with others so they may have a glimpse of the transforming power of God’s love.

For more information about Precious Blood Companions go to www.preciousbloodkc.org/join-us/companions/