BE MY ST. VALENTINE

BE MY ST. VALENTINE

By Akabogu Dorathy

Today, the fourteenth day of February is celebrated all over the world as Val’s Day.

The spirit of this celebration has been so overwhelming, especially for young ones who understand it solely as “day of expressing love..”

Younger ones have taken upon themselves that the love must be expressed only to those so dear to them. The origin and bedrock on which this festival was founded is not a concern to most of them, who celebrate this “special date”.

According to history, there are up to three or four persons recognized as St. Valentine. The most celebrated of those supposed St. Valentine is the legend recognized as a Roman Catholic Church Priest, who was born in 226 AD in Terni, Italy.

However, his true identity was questioned as early as A.D. 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who referred to the martyr and his acts as “being known only to God”.

During the cruel rule of Emperor Claudius, there was unrest in Rome due to people getting involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns.

Emperor had to maintain a strong army, but the difficulty he was having difficulty getting soldiers to join his military leagues.

He believed that Romans were very unwilling to join the army because of their strong bond to their wives and families.

Emperor Claudius saw marriage as a big threat in the army. History has it that Emperor prevented soldiers from being in relationships and even going into marriages.

Claudius saw marriage among soldiers as something that would make them unfit for war.
To get rid of this difficulty, Claudius banned any form of marriages and engagements in Rome.

St. Valentine, learned about the ban, defied the opinion of Emperor Claudius by encouraging young soldiers to go into relationships and joining willing couples secretly in marriage.

When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Emperor Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Legend also has it that while in jail, St. Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter, who was blind.

History has it that the jailer challenged him to heal her daughter of the blindness.
St. Valentine exercised his faith and laid his hands on the girl; her sight was restored. The Jailer surrendered to Christianity and was baptized.
The incident threw Emperor Claudius in such a confused state that he ordered for St. Valentine be beheaded.

The Jailer’s daughter’s kind words to St. Valentine were the source of strength and encouragement that kept Valentine going till the day of his execution. Before his final execution, St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it: “From Your Valentine.”

The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.

While today is all flower, cards, gifts, chocolates and the lovey-dovey feeling. St. Valentine did not have any of these sweet things. He devotedly professed his faith as a Christian and died to uphold the message of modest love.

St. Valentine is still recognized for his service for love and sacrifice.
There was also a conventional belief in Europe during the middle ages that birds chose their partners in the middle of February.

Another school of thought says the day originates from two of the most sexually perverted pagan festivals of Roman ancient history, Lupercelia and Juno Februata, the goddess of love and of women and marriage.

Lupercelia is known as the “Festival of Sexual License”. It was held by the ancient Romans in honour of Lupercus, god of fertility and husbandry.

Unfortunately, February 14th nowadays has turned to a day of promiscuity, drunkenness, rape, harassment, fornication, adultery, killing and maiming in the name of love etc, all in the name of Valentine Day celebration.
Those involved in these activities should repent.

Sex is not the only way you show someone that you love him or her. Research shows that venereal diseases and unplanned pregnancies occur most during Valentine Day.
However, it must be noted that God first showed mankind the true meaning of LOVE by giving us His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. In the Holy Scripture; John 3: 16 “For God loves the world that he gave His only son Jesus Christ; that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. This goes to show that man’s sojourn on earth is a preparatory stage. Man is on earth to prepare for where he or she will spend eternity; either in hell or in heaven.

The Holy Scripture also explained the true character of Love in I Corinthians 13:4-8 which say; that love suffers long and kind, it does not envy, it does not parade itself, it does not puffed up. Love does not behave rudely, does not seek own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.

Love is does not rejoice in iniquities but rejoice in truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Finally, the LOVE St. Valentine professed is not LUST (Fornication) but TRUE LOVE that never rejoice in iniquities.