Saturday is Valentine's Day, and I've always wondered why a 3rd century priest who was martyred for his Christian faith became associated with a day dedicated to celebrating love. So, I decided to do some research and quickly discovered that the answer is not easy to discern.

St. Valentine was a 3rd-century Roman martyr, believed to have been a priest or bishop, who was executed on February 14, around A.D. 270, under Emperor Claudius II. He is the patron saint of love, young people, beekeepers, people with epilepsy, and happy marriages, and he is traditionally associated with secretly marrying couples. His martyrdom occurred in Rome on the Via Flaminia, where a chapel was later built in his honor. In 1969, the Catholic Church removed his name from the liturgical calendar due to limited, conflicting historical evidence, but he remains an officially recognized saint.

What do we know about St. Valentine? Stories link him to romantic love because he defied Emperor Claudius II's ban on marriages for young men, whom the emperor wanted as soldiers. St. Valentine performed secret Christian weddings, leading to his imprisonment. He was jailed for his defiance, faith, and refusal to worship pagan gods. While in prison, he reportedly healed the blind daughter of his jailer, Asterius. When given the chance to deny Christ, he refused and endured beatings. Before his beheading on February 14, he allegedly wrote a farewell note to the girl, signing it "from your Valentine," a phrase still known today.

How does this apply to us? Many of us focus on choosing the perfect Valentine's card or gift for someone special. Some see it as overly commercialized—just a way for businesses to profit at the expense of genuine feelings. Others might feel bitterness after being hurt by those who claimed to love them, leaving them feeling unworthy of love. For some, the day can feel especially lonely without having that special person in their lives. And many view it as a painful reminder of loved ones they have lost.

As Christians, we receive the ultimate Valentine from God, as John 3:16 declares: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life." If you were the only person in the world, God would still send His Son to die for you so that you could have eternal life with Him!" In John 15:13, it states, "What greater love can a man have than to lay down his life for his friends!" Jesus did that for us! What an incredible love! We can accept this love by welcoming His Son into our hearts and believing in Him. Then we can experience "A Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!"

Once we acknowledge God's love, we naturally share that love with everyone around us — not just family and friends, but including strangers and foreigners, without exception! Remember the song, "They will know we are Christians by our love." Do people recognize that you are a Christian through your love?

Take care and love one another, for love is from God!

Bill R.