By Sheila Banks
Communication Specialist
While St. Valentine is recognized as the patron saint of love, lovers, engaged couples, and happy marriages, he is also considered the patron saint of beekeepers, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, plague, travelers, and young people.
Various stories and legends abound, some with overlapping information. It is highly agreed, however, that St. Valentine was a third century Roman clergyman, who was martyred on February 14 around 270 A.D., during the time of Emperor Claudius II, and then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome.
In one story, it is said that Emperor Claudius II was involved in multiple battles and struggled to recruit soldiers. Claudius believed that marriage and family were distractions for the men, so he outlawed marriage. Valentine defied that order and performed marriages in secret. When it was discovered, he was arrested and executed.
Some say he was martyred for boldly proclaiming his faith. In this version, he prayed for healing for a government official’s child. When the official and his family converted to Christianity, Claudius was furious and ordered Valentine’s execution.
In yet another version, it is said that Valentine refused to deny Christ or sacrifice to pagan gods and was executed. In another story, it is said that he had a friendship with Claudius II, and that Claudius became enraged when Valentine tried to convert him to Christianity, then ordered Valentine’s execution.
Regardless of the details surrounding his death, it is generally agreed that Valentine was martyred for practicing his Christian faith.
What can we learn from St. Valentine? Valentine stood strong in his faith regardless of the consequences.
In Matthew 10:32-33 (ESV), Jesus says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus calls us to boldness and loyalty in our faith.
Valentine was a champion of love.
While we tend to associate romantic love with Valentine, Jesus calls us to agape love—a selfless, unconditional love that is shown to us by our loving Father through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The passage in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (ESV) tells us, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
May we, like St. Valentine, stand boldly and loyally in our faith, and be known as champions of love.
Happy Valentine’s Day.