A reflection for Ash Wednesday 2024 by Brother Thomas Aquinas Hall, OSB
“It’s scary, but still in everything about you I find salvation.”
This statement with which I start this reflection with is a lyric from a recent song. But what song is it from? Is it from a new religious hymn? No. Is it from a song by a popular American singer? Also no. Is it from a song from someone with a Youtube channel, or TikTok? Again, no.
So where does the lyric in question come from?
It comes from the opening song of the current season of the romantic comedy anime The Dangers in My Heart and it’s been on my mind a lot recently.
One of these reasons is because this year Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day. While most people wouldn’t really think much about this, I think it’s a big deal and an opportunity to reflect on what love really means or what it can also mean. As I said in one of our recent all-school convocations, if I had control over it, I would make Valentine’s Day fall on Ash Wednesday every year in order to reflect on what love really means or what it can also mean every year. But since I can’t do that, I guess I’ll have to settle on reflecting on this occurrence this year.
I return to the question posed by the song lyric above: “Where do you find your salvation?’ In The Dangers in My Heart, the lyric refers to a guy finding salvation in a girl, but he finds it to be scary since it involves him changing and being encouraged by this girl to try new things.
That’s the Valentine’s Day answer to the question. But where else can salvation be found? Another example of where salvation can also be found is in the Mass. In the Mass, there are opportunities to find salvation in not a girl, but in Christ, whether that be in the readings, the imposition of ashes (in the case of an Ash Wednesday Mass), and in receiving the Eucharist. Trying new things isn’t exactly what this salvation is about. It’s about how the encounter with Christ, no matter how it happens, can change you, which makes this salvation a mystery.
The fact that the salvation that can be found in the Mass is a mystery is most likely why people prefer the usual way to celebrate Valentine’s Day: Buy this for the person you love. Or you can get them that. Or you can get them this and that. Celebrating Valentine’s Day the usual way is easy and straightforward; the mysterious salvation found in Christ unfolds over a lifetime.
This Valentine’s Day, one might consider showing their loved one what love really means by celebrating Ash Wednesday instead. This option might not sit well for everyone, and isn’t a desirable option since it goes against what society says about Valentine’s Day, but it’s still an option. An option that I think is worth reflecting on, especially when Valentine’s Day falls on Ash Wednesday, as it does this year.
Brother Thomas Aquinas Hall, O.S.B., is a monk of Newark Abbey. He regularly posts reflections on anime and manga at https://animeandmangalectio.blogspot.com/
