The story of Saint Valentine –
Since February 14th is recognized as Valentine’s Day (at least in the United States), I thought that I’d share the story behind how this day became a part of our history. There seem to be numerous minor variations of this story, but overall here is a summary of what seems to be the most consistent that I’ve ran across:
Valentine was a priest that lived in Rome during the 3rd century. Emperor Claudius was the ruler during that time and he was a very cruel man. One of the items on Claudius’ “agenda” was to invade Britain. At that time, the Romans were tired of wars and fighting and they didn’t want to leave their loved ones to go off to war. Claudius was having a difficult time getting soldiers for his army. In an effort to obtain more soldiers, Claudius decided to stop all marriages. He thought that if men weren’t married, they wouldn’t mind joining the army.
The people of Rome were obviously furious with this new rule as was Valentine. Valentine continued to marry young couples in secret. The timeline is unclear as to how long this continued. What is known is that during one ceremony - Roman soldiers came and placed Valentine in prison for breaking the law of Claudius. Thankfully, the couple that was with Valentine that night escaped.
Believing in the power of love, many young people came and visited Valentine while he was imprisoned. They brought him flowers and notes that he placed on the prison wall. One frequent visitor was the daughter of one of the prison guards. She was allowed to stay and talk with Valentine for hours on end.
On the day of his execution, Valentine left the jailers’ daughter a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, “Love from your Valentine.”
Valentine was executed on February 14th somewhere around 269 A.D.
So on this day remember the words of Christ during the Last Supper:
Since February 14th is recognized as Valentine’s Day (at least in the United States), I thought that I’d share the story behind how this day became a part of our history. There seem to be numerous minor variations of this story, but overall here is a summary of what seems to be the most consistent that I’ve ran across:
Valentine was a priest that lived in Rome during the 3rd century. Emperor Claudius was the ruler during that time and he was a very cruel man. One of the items on Claudius’ “agenda” was to invade Britain. At that time, the Romans were tired of wars and fighting and they didn’t want to leave their loved ones to go off to war. Claudius was having a difficult time getting soldiers for his army. In an effort to obtain more soldiers, Claudius decided to stop all marriages. He thought that if men weren’t married, they wouldn’t mind joining the army.
The people of Rome were obviously furious with this new rule as was Valentine. Valentine continued to marry young couples in secret. The timeline is unclear as to how long this continued. What is known is that during one ceremony - Roman soldiers came and placed Valentine in prison for breaking the law of Claudius. Thankfully, the couple that was with Valentine that night escaped.
Believing in the power of love, many young people came and visited Valentine while he was imprisoned. They brought him flowers and notes that he placed on the prison wall. One frequent visitor was the daughter of one of the prison guards. She was allowed to stay and talk with Valentine for hours on end.
On the day of his execution, Valentine left the jailers’ daughter a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, “Love from your Valentine.”
Valentine was executed on February 14th somewhere around 269 A.D.
So on this day remember the words of Christ during the Last Supper:
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 13:34-35
And do not forget…
“Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1st Corinthians 13:13
God Bless you. And this is for HIS Glory!
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