Transcript:
Greetings beloved in Christ and a blessed Lent to you. Today is Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of our 40-day journey of prayer, of fasting, of almsgiving and service as we reflect upon our lives and walk with Jesus on the road that leads ultimately to the cross, the tomb and resurrection.
But this Ash Wednesday falls on another Feast Day, the Feast of St. Valentine’s, commonly known as Valentine’s Day in our culture. St. Valentine was known for his service to the church. He is the patron saint of beekeepers and epileptics and those in love. He died for his refusal to stop caring for persecuted Christians and became a martyr for his dedication to caring for others. It might seem strange figuring out how to balance this time where Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day. But I want to encourage you, as you look at how you celebrate Valentine’s Day, to remember that love can be shown simply. Perhaps on the days where Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day, and we have one more coming in 2029, you can think of simple ways to show your love.
I think Valentine’s Day bid us remember that while Ash Wednesday is about our mortality, that we are formed from dust and to dust we shall return, Valentine’s Day invites us to remember that these dust bodies that we inhabit are beloved. They are filled with the very breath of the God who created us.
To that end, I want to share with you a poem written by my colleague, the right Reverend Dion Johnson of the Diocese of Missouri. He says these words, “Remember, you are dust, the substance of the stars animated with the breath of life, uniquely formed in the image and likeness of divine love. You are authored in hope and forged in joy. Very good of very good, no accident we. This beloved quickened dust knit to love and to be loved.” Remember that you are dust. Happy Valentine’s Day.
