Today this year collide Ash Wednesday and the Feast of Valentine, Priest and Martyr.
It would not seem unreasonable to lament that the romantic colour of the date, in modern secular sentiment, obscures the ... er... solemnity... I suppose... of martyrdom; but, you know, I'm not so sure, should we be so hasty? The secular emblem of the day is the Heart, construed as the seat of love — and every martyrdom is an echo of the Feast of the Sacred Heart, wounded for Love of Us; the secular colour of the day is Red, as is the Liturgical Colour — and even as for Love of Wife or Child, so too for Love of God, the Lover is called to be ready that his blood be shed. Valentine himself could not have accepted martyrdom but from love for God and sustained by God's love.
But more often (the opposite could not last long!) for Love we take on duller sufferings, and make of our selves little Cinderelli. Today, as Ash Wednesday, it is traditional to do so more theatrically; again, let it be for Love. Or why should we do penance, indeed how could we, except from knowing that we had once fled Love, and now would find Him again?
Happy Valentines Day,
and a Holy Ash Wednesday,
and a Blessed Lent to you all.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Happy First Sunday of Lent!
You know, I do think it was.
And I hope yours was, too, to say nothing of Today and Tomorrow
Post a Comment