It seems hardly possible I am writing an article for our February Visitor. I look forward to the coming of spring but we still have some unfinished business with Old Man Winter, I’m afraid.
Since February is most famous for the celebration of Valentine’s Day, I thought I would give you some background to how it came about. There are several legends.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest and sent the first “Valentine” himself. While in prison, it is believed that he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter who brought the prisoners their wood and would talk to them. Before Valentine’s death, he supposedly wrote her a letter which he signed “From Your Valentine.”
One legend tells that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
One legend tells that Valentine was a priest in the third century in Rome. The Emperor was Claudius II, who had outlawed marriage because he believed that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, we consider the name “Valentine” associated with love and romance. It is no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
Yet, no one has ever lived that showed the love that Jesus gave to this world. He was not killed for a crime. No one forced Him to die. He did not stay dead. He is not a legend. He is Truth. He loves the Father. He loves us. He is more than a saint.
John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.