Happy Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. I’m wondering how many people gave up chocolate this year? It would make it a bit more challenging for the guys that are last minute valentine gifts buyers.
You have to admit there is an interesting twist to this year’s combination of two significant days. I was talking about this with some friends in Brevard County after a Mass and a young lady, still somewhat of a newlywed, in a very somber tone said, “Yeah, Valentine’s Day on Ash Wednesday.” When I asked what was the problem, she just looked at me, with that look of, are you serious? I embarked on an explanation of how the ashes we will receive on that day are the mark of true love!
In the beginning God, who is Love, formed man out of the clay of the ground. (Gn 2:7) God realized, “It is not good for the man to be alone and so he kept creating until at last he formed from one of Adams ribs the woman.” (Gn 2:18-25) The is an intimate love relationship between God and man; the man and the woman; and between God, man, woman, & creation.
Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return.
My point to the young lady, we may be formed from dust, clay, dirt, but God loves this piece of dirt. He loves us so much that even when man fell, when man turned to worshiping other gods, when we continue to fall short of the holiness He calls us to… “For our sake he made [Jesus, his only begotten Son] to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5:20-21) Now that is true love, love in action, love as a pure gift.
Repent and believe in the Gospel. The Good News, the greatest love story ever!
We will be marked today. Marked with a reminder of how much we are loved by our God and creator. It is a mark that reminds us of where we come from and who it is we belong. This mark becomes a visible sign, along with all the other Christian symbols we adorn ourselves with, that “we are ambassadors for Christ as if God was appealing through us.” (2 Cor 5:20) Calling to a world distracted by so many false gods.
It is not enough to wear the symbols. Our Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and alms giving call us to let the world know we are Christians by our love. How we love our family, our parish life, our community. How we love the strong and the weak; the filled and the hungry; those in the mansion and those who are homeless. How we love enough to offer ourselves for the greater good of others and the glory of our true lover, sanctifier, and savior Jesus.
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