February  4.   George asked, “Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Christmas and Valentine’s day have become so commercialised?  Last December I saw a lot more Santa Claus figures than I saw nativity scenes and hardly any Christmas cards.  Valentine may be about love but it can be so superficial and is a colossal waste of money. But I know that all relationships need cherishing whether it is going to a lonely place to rest or to celebrate together.  Regular date nights doing whatever a couple choose to do are even better to keep romance alive. That applies particularly to those married couples who might be in danger of getting stale. 

Scripture: Jesus said to them,  “come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.”  From Mark 6:30-34.   Pope Francis:  After the love that unites us to God, conjugal love is the “greatest form of friendship, ”having all the traits of a concern for the good of the other, reciprocity, intimacy, warmth and stability are aspects of a shared intimacy. AL123 Reflect, share, act and pray.