WHY VALENTINE’S DAY?
–For many people, valentine is all about romance.
–Valentine day is one of the most misunderstood holiday in the world, especially among the young people.
–Saint Valentine/valentino was born in the year 226 and he was either a priest or bishop in the Catholic denomination.
–He served under the reign of emperor Claudius II, sometimes he is referred to as Divo Clavdio, Gothico.
–During this time, there was rise of immorality, sexual promiscuity. Sexuality was channelled into God given boundaries. This is what the early church encountered.
–This immorality weakened what the real love could look like.
–The history of Valentine’s day and the story of its patron saint is shrouded in mystery.
–We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition.
–But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?
–The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
–One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.
–When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men.
–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.
–While in captive, he presented the gospel to his jailer, and his judge heard about the gospel. So the judge said, proof to me if this thing is true.
–Then, the judge brought one of his adopted daughter who happened to be blind. And Valentine or Valentino laid his hand upon the girl and she got healed immediately.
–Before Valentine was executed, he wrote a letter to this girl, signed “your valentine” on February 14 the day he was beheaded.
–Valentino was murdered on February 14, in the year 269. So, church chose this day in celebrating his life. So we should not see this day as a romantic holiday.
–We shouldn’t think this February 14 is already connected to valentine from the first century.
–Right from the beginning, this celebration has more to do than just a romantic love.
–The church’s commitment to Valentine is to honour his example of Christian marriage and sacrifice, martyrdom, healing of other people and the spread of the gospel
