\u00a0The question is \u201cSince Ash Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence, and it\u2019s Valentine\u2019s, is there permission from THE CHURCH to have chocolates and all that Valentine stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n
Guhhh\u2026the things y\u2019all make me care about.<\/p>\n
So first, I don\u2019t care. Do what you will. You\u2019re gonna do it anyway.<\/p>\n
Second, Ash Wednesday is a big deal in that it begins the 40 days of Lent. It is appropriate to do a MINIMAL amount of suffering (fasting and abstaining) with Christ on that day. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for you so you can probably do without that box of Whitman Samplers for one day. I got faith in you. You got this.<\/p>\n
Third, St.Valentine\u2019s day isn\u2019t even a big day on the Roman Calendar. I am one of the many who say that it really is a corporate grab to sell food, drinks, perfumes, flowers, cards, candy, undies, and whatever. I don\u2019t need to continue. All to say, it\u2019s not even a religious holiday. Bow to your corporate overlords. BIG CANDY IS WATCHING YOU!<\/p>\n
Fourth, our diocese sent out a statement:<\/p>\n
There will be no dispensation for Ash Wednesday fast and abstinence because of Valentine\u2019s Day. If anyone asks tell them to celebrate Valentine\u2019s Day on Mardi Gras.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll be making popcorn for that. I can see some of the older priests standing up and saying, \u201cI\u2019ll NOT TELL YE NUTTIN! CELEBRATE VALENTINE\u2019S WHILE YE CAN! AND IFFEN YE BE TINKIN\u2019 OF YOUR POOR OL LONELY PASTOR BRING ME A BIT OF SCOTCH AND SOME CHOCOLATES STUFFED WITH MONEY CUZ I CANNAH GET MARRRRRRIED!!!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Now you know.<\/p>\n
Related: When Ash Wednesday and Valentine\u2019s Day collide<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Check out how one priest is answering that question, using social media creatively this year. This comes from\u00a0The Sun Herald newspaper in Mississippi: Father Joe Tonos of\u00a0St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church\u00a0in Oxford has a trendy way of reaching his college-aged congregation. The Greenville native\u00a0has been getting inundated with questions regarding Ash Wednesday and Valentine\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":140656,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11252],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-277838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-open-mind"],"yoast_head":"\n
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