Flowers, candy, red hearts,
and romance – that’s what Valentine's Day is all about, right?
Few know the true origin of
this holiday. The real story of Valentine’s Day is found in the man behind the holiday
– St. Valentine. And the expression of love really isn't romantic at all – at
least not in the traditional sense.
Valentine was a Roman
Priest at the time of Emperor Claudias the second. Claudias detested Christians
and took advantage of every opportunity to persecute the Church through his
high-ranking position. As a result, he issued an edict that prohibited people
from getting married, based on the belief that unmarried soldiers would fight
better than married soldiers, because married soldiers might be afraid of what
might happen to their wives if they died.
This edict, however, posed
an immediate problem to the Christian Church. Christian marriage is a sacred
union between a man and a woman for life and is a right given by God. Roman
Priest Valentine had a deep passion to see couples bonded in this sacred union
and love, as a reflection of the union we have with Christ. So Valentine, in
spite of the edict, continued to perform marriage ceremonies.
Valentine was eventually
caught, imprisoned, and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against the command
of Emperor Claudius. But this imprisonment did not change Valentine’s zest to
share the love of Christ with everyone he met.
While imprisoned, Valentine
met a Roman judge named Asterius whose daughter was blind. Valentine shared the
love of Christ with Asterius through prayer and the healing of his young girl. Asterius
was so overcome with the power of love that he committed his life to Christ.
In the year 269 AD, Valentine
was sentenced to a three-part execution of a beating, stoning, and finally
decapitation – all because of his stand for Christian marriage. It is believed
that the last words he wrote were in a letter to Asterius' daughter, inspiring today's
romantic notes by signing it, "from your Valentine.”
That is the real story of
Valentine’s Day. It is not simply a holiday, but a celebration of Christ’s love
for us. Won’t you follow the lead of St. Valentine by celebrating
this day, sharing the unconditional love of Christ with everyone you meet – no
matter the cost?
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