I don’t know about you, but it feels a little strange to me to celebrate Ash Wednesday on St. Valentine’s Day. It puts some of you who are romantically inclined in a real bind. “How shall we celebrate Valentines, dear? How about we go to an Ash Wednesday service where the pastor will read from the prophet Joel telling us to ‘rend your hearts and not your clothing?’”

Does that put you in a romantic mood? It doesn’t sound that romantic to me.

I can hear some of you men now. “Honey I’ve decided to treat you like royalty this Valentine’s Day. We’ll go to Burger King for lunch . . . and Dairy Queen for dessert . . . How’s that for royalty? . . . And then we’ll go to church and spread ashes on our foreheads and repent of our sins.” I don’t know . . .

I’m all in favor of Valentine’s Day. Our w…