February 14 St. Valentine’s Day

Did you know? February 14, Valentine’s Day, is actually “St. Valentine’s Day." However, you probably did not know that there as many as three(!) saints named "Valentine" who are all commemorated on this day by the Church. 

The first St. Valentine was a physician-priest who lived in Rome in the third century. 
He comforted the martyrs of the persecution of Christians by Emperor Claudius II. Valentine was arrested, beaten, and beheaded for his beliefs. A reason today's date is associated with this saint may be because February 14th was a holiday of Juno, the queen of Roman gods and goddesses, dating back to the 4th century B.C. She was the goddess of women and marriage.  This date was marked as a celebration of fertility, with much immorality. It is thought that Valentine encouraged the youth to marry in the Sacramental bond through the Church and performed marriages secretly.

The second St. Valentine was a bishop in present-day Terni, Italy, who was martyred under the same emperor. He was arrested, scourged, and beheaded. 

The third St. Valentine was martyred in Africa with several companions. 

Today, let's pray that we would have the deep love for God and neighbor that these saints had, and that in all our relationships there would be self-giving and self-sacrificial love.