This year, Valentine's Day falls on Ash Wednesday for the first time since World War Two. Catholics and other Christians who will observe Ash Wednesday are supposed to fast, pray and not eat meat.
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Fr. TJ Dolce said this is good practice to just say no today.
“There’s going to be a lot of chocolate. There’s going to be a lot of opportunities to celebrate. And it’s good chance just to say no. Because, look, if we can say no to chocolate and we can say no to sweets or whatever we gave up for Lent , then we’re going to be able to say no to sin and we’re going to be able to say no to the devil. So, it’s good practice,” said Dolce. “It is tough with all of the food and the chocolate you might want to eat on Valentine’s Day. But, look, there’s only two days of the year the Church asks our fast and abstain, and that’s Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.”
Diocese of Beaumont and Apostleship of the Sea’s Fr. Sinclair Oubre said today is almost on the same level as Christmas with the commercialization.
“Stripping away all this other stuff, so that we can deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ and his Heavenly Father,” said Oubre. “The more strict we are, the tougher we are on ourselves, the more we will get out of this season.”
This year, April Fool’s Day falls on Easter.