God Will Never Forget You

Albert’s wife had been suffering from Alzheimer's for over five years. She had deteriorated to the point of  not recognizing anyone, including Albert. Every morning at 9:00 he made a point of having breakfast with her at her nursing home. He would sit with her and tell her the stories of their life together - their wedding day, their children and all the other experiences they shared over some fifty years of marriage.

One morning, Albert wasn’t feeling well. He was struggling to get out of bed and get himself ready to go to the nursing home. Nonetheless, he pushed himself as hard as he could not wanting to be late for breakfast with his wife.

Seeing that he wasn’t feeling well, his daughter said to him, “Dad, why don’t you stay home in bed today and rest. Anyway, you know Mom doesn’t remember you.”

Albert replied, “You’re right. Your mother doesn’t remember me. But I remember her.”

What a beautiful example of unconditional love Albert shows us! He reminds us what true love means - that we give of ourselves to others even when we get nothing in return, even when our gestures of kindness are forgotten, and even when others fail to understand why we are trying so hard when it doesn’t seem to be getting us anywhere.

In particular, Albert teaches us something about God’s love. Even when we forget Him, God always remembers us. Even when we neglect Him, He always takes care of us. No matter how far we try to run away from Him, He never stops pursuing us. No matter how hard we try to hide from Him, He never stops trying to find us.

This is what God says through the prophet Isaiah: “Can a woman forget her child? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have carved you on the palms of my hand” (Is 49:15-16).

In today’s gospel, a scribe asks Jesus what the greatest commandment of the Law is. He replies by echoing the words of Moses in today’s first reading: “You shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” In this commandment, Jesus reveals to us the key to a holy life. Those who love God above all things do not sin. They do not lie, steal, or hurt others. They remember the love God has for them and try to reflect that love in everything they do.

How is it possible for us to love God when we cannot see Him?

First of all, we must recognize that the type of love we are talking about is not a sentimental, affectionate type of love that a teenager might experience with his first crush or that we might feel for a puppy. Rather, the type of love that Jesus is calling us to is the type of love that Albert showed to his wife. It is a love that is willing to sacrifice. It is a love that is complete and total, unwilling to make excuses and unwilling to settle for less than total commitment.

Such unconditional love is impossible for us with our sinful, hardened hearts. We cannot attain to such a love of God through our own efforts. It must be a gift from God. So we must continue to pray for it. And we can pray with great confidence because God wants nothing more than that we love Him. Therefore, He will make it possible for us if we ask Him earnestly and insistently.

Like any gift, it must be put to use if it is going to grow. Just so, we must put into practice the love God places in our hearts if that love is to be perfect and complete.

Jesus tells us just how we are supposed to put God’s love into practice when He goes on to tell the scribe in today’s gospel: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus links love of God to love of neighbor. Saint John tells us, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love a brother or sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).  We grow in love of God, then, by loving our neighbor.

Again, we are not talking about a sentimental type of love. We are not even talking about liking others or wanting to be their friends. Rather, we are talking about putting the needs of others before our own, serving others even when our motives are questioned, and giving without expecting anything in return. This type of love is a decision we make based on our love for God, not on any emotions we feel. It finds expression in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy which include feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, clothing the naked, educating the ignorant and praying for the conversion of sinners. By making daily, intentional decisions to love others, we are showing our love for God. And, in so doing, that love grows stronger within us.

Every Sunday, we gather here to remember. We remember the great love God showed us by sending His Son to die for us. We remember how Jesus gave us His Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine. As we receive this gift of His love we ask Him to make our hearts like His - filled with unconditional, sacrificial love. And we commit ourselves to loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. In so doing, the world will finally be transformed by the love of God.