Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Love is in the air
The Legend of Valentines Day
Over time, Valentines Day has become blended with two other ancient Roman holidays, Lupercalis and Juno, both associated with romance; however, Saint Valentines life exemplifies a broader definition of love. The Roman Catholic Church recognizes 8 different saints named Valentine but the most famous one lived in Rome during the reign of Claudius II, around the year 270 AD.
Legend has it that Claudius II outlawed marriage as a way to encourage men to join his army. Valentine refused to obey this law and was arrested for secretly performing weddings for young couples. While in prison, Valentines kindness and positive attitude helped convert the jailer and his wife to Christianity.
According to the legend, Valentine also befriended the jailer's blind daughter, often writing her notes of encouragement and praying for her. Word of Valentines kindness and compassion reached Claudius II. He offered to release Valentine if the priest would renounce his religion and worship the Roman gods. Valentine not only refused, but he tried to convert Claudius II to Christianity. Claudius II rejected this attempt and condemned Valentine to death.
As the legend goes, Valentines prayers were answered, and the jailer's daughter was healed. On the eve of his execution, Valentine wrote a note assuring this young girl that she was not responsible for his death. He signed the note "from your Valentine."
As you can see, Valentines story represents many aspects of love. It was his love for God and his commitment to his values that caused Valentine to disobey the law. Valentines respect for romantic love is also included in his disobedience. His positive and loving attitude, even in the midst of crisis, affected the views of others including the jailer and Claudius himself. He demonstrated love for humanity through his kindness to the jailer's blind daughter.
11:55:00 PM
