It was a particularly cold frigid, snowy Colorado morning when I got to Denver. Anthony and I were planning on meeting at 6:30am Mass, but I got there so early that I decided to stop by his place on the way to the church. Noticing that his car had been parked outside and was now covered in ice, I decided to scrape it off for him so he wouldn’t have to do it when he got to his car. He showed up to Mass, we had our little breakfast date after Mass, and he said nothing.
Not going to lie, I was a little peeved. I mean, I didn’t have my gloves and that ice was caked on. Maybe he just forgot, I told myself. But as I went on with my day, I found I was more and more annoyed. Why didn’t he notice? Did he forget? Did he not appreciate that his windows were clean? Did he not care?
Then I realized that if God were fully human, He’d probably feel the same way about us. How often do we miss the little things He does for us? How often do we fail to give Him thanks?
As the day wore on I imagined {angrily} talking to Anthony that night and asking him if he noticed if anyone scraped off his car. I’d remind him and jog his memory. I’d point out what I’d done and then revel in the thanks he’d give me as he went on about how he can’t wait to marry a woman as wonderful as me. But that isn’t how God treats us. He doesn’t throw the nice things He does for us in our faces and then wait impatiently for us to fall at His feet praising Him. He just keeps giving.
That, my friends, is the point. The point isn’t to count up how many nice things we do for our friends. The point isn’t to do something nice just to receive thanks or praise. The point isn’t to give of ourselves so that we feel good about doing something nice. The point is to keep giving, whether we get praise, glory, thanks, or nothing at all. The point is to give because He gives to us. If we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), then we should give because He gives everything to us. He gives without counting the cost, holding it over our heads, or trying to get something out of us in return. He keeps giving, patiently waiting for us to notice, to praise Him, and to fall madly in love with Him.
There is no time we see this so perfectly played out as the Triduum, the most sacred days of the year, the days we are entering in now. If ever you’ve doubted the immensity of God’s love, affection or desire for you, I encourage you to attend services in these next few days. As you listen to and experience His mercy, think to yourself, “He did this for ME, to show me His love. He did this to be reunited to me, despite my sins.” Let His example of perfect love fill your heart and prepare you for the true joy of Easter.