Saturday is Valentine’s Day, marked by many with romantic dates, items of flowers and sweets, and expressions of affection to our vital different. Many neglect that it’s, extra precisely, Saint Valentine’s Day (or the Feast of Saint Valentine). Saint Valentine of Rome was a third-century Roman saint who’s commemorated on February 14, the day he was martyred and buried. It has been honored that manner since A.D. 496.
So why will we affiliate his day with love?
The reply is surprisingly shallow. It has nothing to do along with his life; no nice story of unrequited love or blessings he gave on some younger couple. Because the New Catholic Encyclopedia notes, the “late medieval customized of sending love notes on Saint Valentine’s Day stems most likely from the assumption that it marked the mating season of birds.” And we’ve been utilizing his commemoration in comparable vogue ever since.
Not precisely fodder for a Hallmark Channel film.
But we should always honor the day. Valentine turned a saint as a result of his ministry to persecuted Christians in Rome. He’s honored not just by Catholics, but additionally Anglicans, Lutherans and even the Jap Orthodox Church (although for the latter, his day lands on July 6). He must be honored by all Christ followers.
Although clearly within the camp of hagiography, I nonetheless love the story related to Valentine who, whereas below home arrest, was requested concerning the validity of Jesus. A choose determined to check Valentine and his religion by bringing the saint to the choose’s adopted blind daughter. If Valentine may restore the woman’s sight, the choose would launch him. Valentine laid his arms on the woman’s eyes, and immediately her sight was restored.
The choose, shocked and amazed, requested what he ought to do now. Valentine informed him to destroy all of his idols, quick for 3 days after which be baptized. Not solely did the choose observe this prescription, however he additionally freed all of the imprisoned Christians below his jurisdiction.
One other slice of hagiography – once more one which I can’t assist however be drawn to – is how he died. Valentine was arrested for the (nonetheless) daring act of evangelism and was despatched for trial to Claudius Gothicus, the emperor of Rome. When Valentine tried to evangelize even the emperor, he was informed to both surrender his religion or be overwhelmed with golf equipment after which beheaded.
Valentine refused to cease making Christ identified.
He was then executed on February 14.
Our Valentine’s Day.
So ship your expressions of affection. However take a second or two to go deeper than Submit-it notes on the mirror, Godiva sweets and candlelit dinners, and bear in mind the love that coursed by way of the veins of Valentine himself that reverberates to at the present time.
Not the love of a person towards a lady, and even much less the mating of two birds, however slightly the love of a person for his God.
James Emery White
Editor’s Notice
In honor of Valentine’s Day this weekend, the Church & Tradition workforce thought that you’d get pleasure from studying this weblog once more.
Sources
E. Day, “Valentine, St.”, New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Version, Vol. 14.
