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All You Need Is Love!

February 14, 2024

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17  |  Isaiah 58:1-12  |  Psalm 103  |  2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10  |  Matt 6:1-6, 16-21

When we began to put plans together for our Lenten blog, I was surprised and somewhat amused that Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day share the same day in 2024! A quick check on Google told me that this is not a frequent occurrence; only three Ash Wednesdays each century coincide with the celebration of Valentine’s Day.

So, where might we find a connection between Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday? For me, the answer is quite simple – Love.

While Valentine’s Day in our time has become a romantic day to express our feelings for our loved ones, it is just one day. On the other hand, the forty days of Lent give us an even bigger chance to deepen another kind of love, that is our love for God, for our neighbors, and for ourselves.

Lent gives us the opportunity to try new approaches to our daily walk with God. We are invited to slow down our lives a bit and open our eyes and hearts to God’s creative presence in our world.

With eyes wide open, we can really see the people – our neighbors – with whom we share this world. Let’s remember that we will never meet someone whom God does not already love. If we take the time to meet them, talk with them, share with them, pray with them, they will experience God’s abundant love – through us!

And as we wander through Lent, we will learn more about ourselves as well and what God might be inviting us to do and to be. Or we might simply slow down enough to appreciate who and where we are right now as beloved children of God.

My prayer for each of you this Lent is that you take the time to explore where God’s love may be calling you!

Betsy Fornal