VALENTINES FOR LENT

By Lori Carmody 

It makes perfect sense to me that yesterday, the start of the Lenten season for Christians, was also St. Valentine’s Day.  What if both being on the same day wasn’t just happenstance?  What if our celebration of love on Ash Wednesday was pointing us in the direction of observing Lent with love being in the for front of our minds over the next 40 days (especially in light of the Florida High School shooting)?

As we know, God asks unusual things of His people.  He asked Noah to build an ark in the middle of the desert.  He asked a virgin to have a baby.  You get my point.   So, yesterday He may have asked us to hold love (valentines) together with Ash Wednesday (you are dust and to dust you shall return).  Unusual to say the least.  Or not?

In my mind, this translates:  Act in love towards all while holding in the back of your mind that life is short.

Let me share with you a prayer written by Joyce Rupp that I have adapted.

Faithful God, in these Lenten days we pray:

to live deeply, with purpose, 
to live freely, with detachment, 
to live wisely, with humility, 
to live justly, with compassion, 
to live lovingly, with awareness, 
to live gratefully, with generosity, 
to live fully, with enthusiasm.

Help me to hold this vision and to daily renew it in my heart, 
becoming ever more one with you.
Amen

From time to time we all forget we are meant to be Valentines to one another.  Yet life is short.  Perhaps we need to remember from Ash Wednesday that we are dust and to dust we shall return.  We were given a gift yesterday; a reminder that we are created to do both; love with a BIG VALENTINES LOVE and to remember that we won’t have forever to share our love with others.  God is counting on us to live the next 40 days with both in mind.

Thanks for reading.

Lori

#BIGLOVE  #LENT  #DAY11