Valentine’s Day is upon us, what do you do for Valentine’s Day? Do you buy chocolate? Go out to eat at a fancy restaurant? Take the opportunity to write little love notes to family members who are close to you? Do you take a moment to remember what this day is about? Do you even know?
Valentine’s Day drops in the middle of winter, a bright splash of red against a gray pallet that is winter. It’s fun to set aside a day to do something special with those we love, most of us regard Valentine’s Day as a rather fluffy holiday with very little substance, apart from expressing how much we love the people in our lives. Valentine’s Day is in fact though, a holiday with some very deep roots.
St Valentine was a priest in Rome in the third century when Rome was under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, or Claudius the Cruel as he was also known. Claudius was working hard to expand his kingdom; which of course took many battles, which then included bloodshed, which resulted in the need for more men to leave their homes and come fight at the front.
Understandably many of the men did not want to leave their families which would have little means of making an income and providing for themselves if they were to die, and it became difficult to recruit more men to fight. Claudius decided that if families were the reason he was having a hard time recruiting men then he must simply end the family unit, which he did by outlawing marriage.
St Valentine refused to follow this order knowing that if you destroyed the family, an institution ordained by God, you would also destroy the whole of society. So risking his life Valentine continued to hold marriage ceremonies in secret, and to convert people to Christianity. Eventually he was discovered and was thrown in prison where, legend has it, he befriended the jailer’s daughter, who was tasked with delivering meals to the prisoners. The fateful day finally came on which Valentine was to be beheaded, and he left a last note bidding farewell to the jailer’s daughter, signing the note, “Your Valentine,” and thenceforth immortalizing himself.
St Valentine was probably not the only priest to disobey the orders. Indeed there are records of at least two other Valentines who were also martyred for holding fast to their beliefs. These people sacrificed their lives to protect marriage and the family.
This Valentine’s Day I hope you get to spend time with your loved ones, but I hope too that you will pause amidst your activities and remember the sacrifice that our ancestors made. It is something worth remembering.
Want more from Essentially EmmaMarie? Go to Grace Notes for similar posts!
