Daily Meditation for February 14, 2024

This year, Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall on the same day. St. Valentine was both a priest and a doctor, and legend tells us that he was put in jail for performing weddings when new marriages were outlawed in Rome. While in jail, he sent a letter to his jailer’s daughter after healing her from blindness. He signed the letter “From your Valentine,” and that eventually led to the tradition of sending affectionate cards, called valentines, to people we love. As we begin this Lenten season on Valentine’s Day, may the cross of ashes traced on our foreheads remind us of the cross of love that was carried for us more than 2,000 years ago.  As we anticipate the celebration of Easter, may we live this season of Lent in the spirit of St. Valentine, being especially mindful of opportunities that call for words and actions of genuine love.

By Mary Weidner, OSB