Three of a Perfect Pair

Today's Readings

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Luke 9: 23-24

The calendar this year offers a unique combo of dates that truly helps define our real purpose as a people. To combine Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day allows all to see that with sacrifice comes love.

• Sacrifice... Sacrifice is the day to day work. Sacrifice is the full commitment to each other over the things that could be getting in the way. Sacrifice is the reality that, even when it doesn't seem to be working, the work and the commitment continues. Sacrifice is an intentional "giving up" of self, so as to "give" so as to help meet other's needs. Sacrifice gets more difficult before it gets easy.

• Love... "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

• Work... The work of Ash Wednesday is to let your heart know that you are ready to "repent for your sin, and be faithful to the Gospel." (That's what they said when you were getting that ash on your head yesterday... Hope you washed your face this morning!) The repenting is the sacrifice, and the love is the Gospel; which by the way, calls us all to love one another!  The work of Valentine's Day is to let your heart be shared with the people you love, usually uttered in the phrase, "Will you be mine?" (Which usually is accompanied by a box of chocolates, or a rose to symbolize just how sweet and beautiful they are!). The Sharing and the symbols are the work, and the love is the purpose that drives us.

So, just like sacrifice, love is not a feeling.  It is work.  Just like sacrifice, love is not easy, it is purposeful.  Just like sacrifice, love tells the world that you mean business... You care... You have faith... You have hope... And yes, you have a love that serves them, struggles with them, rejoices with them, and grows with them, denying your very self to work for them daily.

That's life, that's sacrifice, and that's love... And that's why Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day go well together, and why sacrifice, love and work are "three of a perfect pair!" (a stretch of a King Crimson reference).

Happy Valentine's Day!