February for most of us is a tunnel month, a dreary kind of time, but filled with the potential of new life. As we see the days getting longer, the sun shining a bit brighter in the sky, we begin to see the distant hope of the coming Spring. Tuesday of next week we keep the Feast of Saint Valentine, a fourth century priest and Roman martyr who wrote to young Christians in Roman jails who were imprisoned for their faith and were awaiting death. Valentine, consumed with the love of Christ, encouraged his readers to burn with love for Jesus, to put their hope in Him, and as always he signed off, “your loving Valentine”. Over the centuries we continue to be “Valentines” for others as we offer tributes of love. But the first “valentines” were encouragements to keep the love of God alive in the hearts of those facing persecution and death. This coming Saturday, we keep the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, who in the 19th century, called us to renew our love for Christ by fervent prayer and penance. It is those two themes, prayer and penance, that go hand in hand. Prayer, Communion, conversion with God and penance, to be willing to go out of our way, to do the hard work of interior conversion, to please the Lord we love. February is a month that is full of messages of love. A simple priest who would himself pay the ultimate price of faith, martyrdom, writing to Christians to keep the love of God alive in their hearts, and our Blessed Lady calling us to pray and do penance, to love God in word and deed. A Valentine’s Day card is cheap and meaningless unless the sentiments expressed are heartfelt and expressed in action. May we offer to God our Valentine, a heart full of love that expresses itself in action. The daily striving to make Him known in our words and deeds.

God bless you all,

your Friend and Pastor, 

     Fr. Dan Hesko

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