Last Sunday, something very sad happened.
A little girl named Lillian—my sweet and darling step-granddaughter—ran out of her catechism class crying.
She loves Jesus so much. She wants to be close to him.
But someone told her,
“If you die with sin on your soul, you will go to hell.”
Lillian ran to my daughter with tears in her eyes and asked,
“Sarah… what if I forget one?”
Sarah knelt down, held her close, and said something very true:
“That is not how Jesus loves you.”
Even grown-ups do not know how Jesus loves them.
Jesus doesn’t scare us into loving him.
He doesn’t say, “You better be perfect or I won’t love you.”
No.
Jesus loves with open arms.
He loves with kindness.
He loves with a cross that carried every sin—big and small, remembered and forgotten.
When we go to confession, we tell Jesus we’re sorry.
We try our best to remember what we’ve done wrong.
But if we forget something small, Jesus still forgives us.
He sees our heart.
He knows we’re trying.
And he never stops loving us.
The Church teaches that only very serious sins—called mortal sins—can break our friendship with God.
And even then, God waits for us.
He wants us to come back.
He wants to forgive.
He wants to love.
So if you ever ask, “What if I forget one?”
Here’s the answer:
Jesus does not forget you.
He does not forget your love.
He does not forget your tears.
He does not forget your desire to be close to him.
The Bible says,
“Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another.”
And,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
That’s what matters most.
That’s what Jesus wants.
To love God.
To love others.
To build a life of love, like building a tower with strong blocks.
And guess what?
Jesus already laid the first block.
He already paid the cost.
He already started the work.
And he will help us finish it.
So to every child who worries,
To every heart that wants to be close to Jesus—
Let me say it clearly and gently:
That is not how Jesus loves you.
He loves you with mercy.
He loves you with grace.
He loves you with joy.
And he will never forget you.
Prayer: Jesus, Help Me Build with Love
Jesus,
You see my heart.
You know I want to be close to you.
Sometimes I worry I’ll forget something.
But you never forget me.
Help me build my life with blocks of love,
With mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
When I hold the block of worry,
Take my hand and guide me.
Thank you for loving me with joy,
For smiling when I try,
For staying close when I cry.
I want to build with you, Jesus.
One block at a time.
Amen.
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