In many Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox and some Protestant churches, an Ash Wednesday worship service marks the beginning of the Lenten season.  It is a solemn, penitential liturgy that launches worshipers on a reflective journey toward the climactic events of Holy Week.  Several traditional rituals frame the meaning of the service. The most visible and widespread of these rituals is the marking of the forehead with ash in the sign of the cross.  Usually applied with the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” the ashes suggest a posture of penitence, and they remind us of our mortality and our humble place before God.

Perhaps the second most familiar practice of a typical Ash Wednesday service is the communal recitation of Psalm 51.  The words of the Psalm are heartrending.  Expressing clear humility and contrition, the psalmist acknowledges his transgressions and pleads for God’s mercy.  Indeed, King David’s sins seem to haunt him and he allows that he deserves whatever consequences come his way.  His urgent prayer is for God’s forgiveness and salvation, that God might withhold just punishment and instead wash him clean and purify his soul.  For his part, David knows that simple platitudes are not sufficient as he petitions for mercy; he offers God the sacrifice of a broken heart and promises to praise God continuously and to teach others the ways of God.

Have you ever wondered why the early church started this annual seasonal time of Lent six weeks before the most holy week in the life of the Church?  Let me list several for you

1. The church knew that people need a second chance for a new start in life.  And you can not have a second chance unless you receive God’s mercy and grace.  We all need a second change, perhaps even a third and a fourth and more.  However, the church wanted us to know that our God is gracious and merciful, and Lent reminds us that we can have a new start if we are truly remorseful and repentive of our self-destructive ways.
2. The church knew that sin is not a surface wound but a penetrating sickness.  Sin is similar to cancer in that it eats away at the core of our very being.  Overcoming such an invasive disease requires a dramatic and divine intervention – nothing else but a heart transplant.  The heart transplant is the only way for a restored relationship and a path for healing and wholeness.
3. The church knew that healing and restoration takes time and is best done in community.  Like the 40 days of Jesus’ wilderness journey in preparation for his public ministry, we must come into Holy Week preparing ourselves for the public declaration and demonstration of our faith, visibly seen in the Resurrected life.  Sin is as social as it is individual.  Healing of sin must be social and it must be individual for genuine transformation to take place.

Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (February 22), The Way Anglican Fellowship will gather at Datron as a community where everyone will take individual responsibility for their actions of self-destructive thoughts, words, and deeds.  We will ask for God’s mercy and grace and we will begin our journey of reconciliation, restoration, and resurrection so that Christ can fully live in us.  I hope you will be there.

In His mercy and grace,

Fr. Tony Baron

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that most of the world is looking for love in all the wrong places.  We all can plead guilty to the fact that our need to love and be loved has created some pretty regrettable moments.  Like they say, stupid comes packaged in all ages and color and sizes.
The ancients were not really smarter in dealing with love either.  Perverted customs and observances were done on February 14^th in attempts to increase fertility and manipulate love relationships. The only ones that benefited by all the activities were the pagan temples and the city taxes.
When Roman Emperor Constantine decided “enough was enough” by all these pagan holidays, he decided, along with the Church leaders, to provide a Christian alternative to all the licentious partying.  On February 14^th, the Church honored several Valentines. All were martyred, one a bishop located in Terni in AD 197, one a priest in Rome in AD 260, and one whose only records indicated that he was martyred on February 14^th and buried on the Via Flaminia. Today, the Roman Church has removed February 14^th from the General Roman Calendar and the Anglican Communion places it in the category of a “commemoration.”  That’s the equivalent of scientist telling us “Pluto” is no longer a planet!  Hardly worth a sniffle or a tear!
So what’s love got to do with it?  Is this day more a Hallmark moment than anything else?  Well, Hallmark does make a lot of money because of Valentine’s Day.  But I think there are many reasons to recognize this time of the year.
First of all, Valentine’s Day serves as a reminder for all those who tied the knot as husband and wife that a Holy Sacrament took place when we said, “I Do.”  The Bible says that at that moment of sacramental union a man and a woman in God’s eyes becomes one . . . united, in union, in partnership . . . “for better, for worse, in richer and in poorer, in sickness and in health” (Eph. 5:22-33; Gen. 2:24).
I truly love being married to my wife and best friend, Bobbi.  Every day I am grateful for her grace, love, and respect she has for me and there are some days I don’t deserve any of it.  Bobbi is still the most beautiful women I have ever seen, inside and out.  And I really hope that all spouses see their partner the same way as I do with Bobbi.  Valentine’s Day makes me stop and take time in our busy lives to celebrate our life together as husband and wife.
Valentine’s Day also reminds me of the biblical truth that “God is love.” The Apostle John writes, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love (I John 4:7-8).”  God created all of us to love and be loved and be bearers of God’s love.
You cannot create love; you only can participate in love.  The healthiest most holistic love is our participation with God in love.  It is the only way to not deform love into selfish passions and inordinate choices.  You actually get to look for love in ALL the right places.  As you participate in love with the Holy Trinity, you can love others as you are loved – your spouse, children, grandchildren, family, friends, and believe it or not, even with those who are disagreeable.
For me, February 14^th is more than a Hallmark moment; it is a Holy Moment when I can tell the love of my life thank you for the gift of you!

I am sad and angry this morning – Sad that my beloved New England Patriots did not win the Super Bowl and angry that Bill Belichek did not listen to my coaching suggestions when I was screaming at the television. I could barely handle it when the 6’6” Gronk couldn’t jump to catch the football that ended with an interception and barely maintained my sanity when Wes Walker dropped the key 4^th quarter pass to guarantee victory.

Immature you say?  Absolutely.  Childlike? Of course, you are right.  Annoying to my beloved wife Bobbi? Well, is the Pope Catholic? Do dogs bark?  So yeah, I am guilty on all charges.

Monday was depressing.  Everybody seemed to love Eli Manning, even the San Diego Charger fans that seemed to forget that he decided to not play for them when he was drafted.

Three footballs were stripped by the Patriots in the game but remained unrecovered.  An once-in-a-lifetime impossible catch four years ago at the Super Bowl was made again by the Giants as they marched down the field late in the fourth quarter to eventually win the game.  Even when the Patriots were ahead, I had a sinking feeling that the Patriots were on life support.  I couldn’t even enjoy the $6 million dollar commercials!

Please God, help me!  I mean, after all, we live in the land of the free.  Isn’t it better to be a Patriot than a Giant in America?  Didn’t King David slingshot God’s people to victory by thumping a Giant?  Didn’t Jack of the Beanstalk fame pull a “Bellichek” and beat the Giant?  Come on, really?  21-17 Giants.  Where’s the justice?

In the midst of my post-game personal pity party, a crazy insane absolutely absurd thought crossed my mind.

GOD.  You thought I was going to say “suicide”, didn’t you?  Nope, I was thinking about God.  I told you it was crazy.  Now, please don’t misunderstand.  I am not saying that God loved the Giants more than the Patriots or that God helped Manningham catch that late 4^th quarter pass.  I am also not saying that God loves Eli Manning more than Tom Brady just because Eli means “my God” and Tom reminds us of another “Tom” in biblical times that doubted the resurrection of Jesus.

However, I am saying that God used this Super Bowl, like He chooses all moments in time, to make us aware of Him.  Romans 8:28 “all things work together for good,” even applies to the Super Bowl.  Twenty-four hours after the final play, I am getting some perspective.  God, allowed the game to unfold, to teach us something about Him, about me, and about His ways on earth.  One thing I learned about me is that I take football way too seriously.   Lord forgive me, it is simply a game.  There is some other stuff I am still working through – but God is talking and I am listening.

Tonight I will remove my seven New England Patriots caps from the fireplace mantle and somewhat tearfully put them away for six months until football practice starts again and hope is renewed.  Bobbi will again thank God that some degree of normalcy has returned to Sunday afternoon and Monday evening at the Baron household.

In a strange way, I will too!  There are more important things than the Super Bowl, Tom Brady, and the Patriots.  Life is far more important than a game.  Thank you Lord for teaching me some priorities.  And also Lord, thank you that I am not a Chicago Cub fan . . . that may be more than I can handle in my spiritual journey.