Saint Valentine’s Day did not begin as a Hallmark card with flowers, chocolates, long-stemmed roses, conversation hearts, and romantic love. Saint Valentine’s Day was a feast day for a saint of our church. Today, Saint Valentine’s feast day is no longer on the Church calendar for yearly celebrations, because there is so much uncertainty around his life (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Valentine). It is hard to know who Saint Valentine was and what his life was all about. There are so many stories out there. When I was a religion teacher, I had two children’s books in my office about Saint Valentine, and the stories about his life could not have been more different.
One book about Saint Valentine told of a man who was a bishop and a healer. People would come to Valentine for miraculous healings. There was a particular little girl in the story who was blind and would visit Valentine regularly. Eventually, Saint Valentine cured her of her blindness, and she regained her sight! Further, when Valentine was incarcerated for performing his healings, he would write letters to people, including the girl he healed, and sign them “Your Valentine.”
The other book painted a different picture of Saint Valentine as a bishop. The other book told the story that Saint Valentine, in the time of the Roman Empire when Christian marriages were outlawed by the Romans, would perform secret wedding ceremonies for couples who wanted to get married. Performing these secret marriages was the reason Valentine became the patron saint of couples. Both of the children’s books helped me see how Saint Valentine’s legacy has evolved into what we might imagine today as the Valentine’s Day holiday filled with candy, flowers, and paper valentines, as well as romantic gestures.
Regardless of the true biography of Saint Valentine, I believe that everyone, regardless of age, ability, gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, legal status, country of origin, or any other distinguishing attribute, deserves to be loved. Each person deserves to be told that they are loved, and each person is worthy of love. I believe there is an abundance of love on earth to share with one another, and yet, sometimes, love is offered to our neighbors as if there is a scarcity of love. There is not. There is an abundance of love. Humans have an infinite capacity to love. How do you know that you are loved? How to do you show others they are loved? Is there someone in your life or your neighborhood who could use some more love? It is the dead of winter right now where I live, and although it is getting brighter, it has been very cold and many people have been sick. I think we could benefit from being reminded that there is an abundance of love in our lives. May the intercession of Saint Valentine lead us to healing, writing notes to those we love, and to celebrating true love, even if it is not popular. Everyone deserves love. You deserve love. How will you spread your love and God’s love widely today and every day?