Valentine's Day, Ash Wednesday, or In Other Words February 14

All of a sudden it's February 14th. How did that happen? Yesterday it was Christmas and now it's Valentine's Day!!!! So, this post is going to be very discombobulated, BUT I had a few thoughts with the arrival of this holiday that I wanted to get out in writing.

Personally, I've never been a huge Valentine's Day person. When we were little, my mom would help us decorate cookies for our cousins and maybe our music teachers, and of course every year we make my dad a big cookie, but I have never put much stock in the whole idea of Valentine's Day. Of course, there's the whole St. Valentine thing, but, considering everything, for some reason I've just never been a 'roses, hearts, and baby Cupids' person. One story of the origin of Valentine's Day is that it was set up, supposedly, to commemorate the martyrdom of Christian saints, especially by the name of Valentine, who were executed in Rome, but another origin story has the day coming from the Roman holiday of Lupercalia, which was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, Remus, and Romulus (according to History.com). The legend is that the church made an attempt to "Christianize" the holiday by commemorating the saints on the day that the pagan festival traditionally took place. But anyway. That doesn't have anything to do with anything.

This year, Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lent season leading up to Easter, coincide.

I've never considered myself a romantic person. I get mad if a movie is too mushy for my taste or if kissing scenes last more than three seconds (about). But, as much as we yell at the TV screen, as much as we groan and complain and gripe about romance and how big a deal we make about how gross it is, I think that down in their hearts everyone, EVERYONE, appreciates a good, clean love story.

And that's what so interesting about Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday coinciding this year. Even though Valentine's Day was set up, allegedly, to be a pagan holiday, Ash Wednesday reminds us of Lent, which reminds us of Easter. And the whole story of Easter is the greatest love story ever told, of a Savior who gave Himself up for his loved one, the church, and the people of of the church as individuals. It's interesting, how things that were (allegedly) instituted and kept up by pagan or non-Christian traditions have a way of pointing to Christ in the end.

 Now, I'm not saying anything against baking people cookies or making a card or giving roses to somebody. That's fine, make your friends, teachers, family members, and sweethearts (if applicable) cards and cookies, smile and say thank you if you receive something. Remember the martyred saints and their loving service to others. But remember also that Ash Wednesday leads to Easter. And Easter leads to the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And that, my friends, is the greatest love story ever told, "which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”-C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle.