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Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
Today, as well as being the sixth Sunday
in Ordinary time, is also Valentines’ day. It’s interesting to note that
there are at least three different Saint Valentines, all of them
martyrs, which are mentioned
in the early
martyrologies under
date of 14 February. One
opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his
Christian faith. Other
historians hold that
St.
Valentine was a
temple
priest jailed for defiance
during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really
existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and
an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius
marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.
The first representation of Saint
Valentine appeared in a The
Nuremberg Chronicle, a great
illustrated book printed in 1493. [Additional evidence that Valentine
was a real person: archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb
and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine.] Alongside a woodcut
portrait of him, text states that Valentinus was a Roman
priest martyred during the
reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying
Christian couples and aiding
any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in
Rome [when helping them was
considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius
took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic
error: He tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this
priest was condemned to
death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he
was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269].
Saints are not supposed to rest in
peace; they are expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to
intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the
supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus
restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says,
on the
eve
of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter,
signing it, "From your Valentine."
St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in
269 at
Rome and was buried on the
Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers,
engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love,
lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. He is represented in
pictures with birds and roses.
Let give our hearts and minds to the
Lord. - Fr. Joe |
