They say February is the month of Love. That is because February 14th, is Valentine's Day.
Generally, I hate Valentine's Day.
It's not my intention to always be detrimental - I know I display many dissenting opinions on my blog, and I try to have some reserve, despite how harder it it becoming to ignore the decay of American society. So given that most single people hate Valentine's Day, I should rephrase my opinion and say that I hate what Valentine's Day has become.
Valentine's Day is another one of those holidays, like Christmas and Easter, that has completely lost it's true meaning behind all of the commercialism. There are many people who don't know the true Christian meanings to Christmas and Easter, but many Christians aren't even aware of the Christian roots to Valentine's Day. Many think it is a day in celebration of love, while in fact it is become more like a day to guilt you into buying a gift for the one you love. But neither of these meanings are true. While the truth of Christmas and Easter have slowly decayed over time, the facts behind Saint Valentine's Day has been warped from almost the very beginning.
Early Christianity thrived in the pagan atmosphere of the Roman Empire. The very acts of persecution and
denigration meant to hinder the spread of Christianity, only served to encourage the spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the blood of the martyrs watered the seeds that their Christlikeness planted in the hearts of their persecutors. And so the Church flourished...
The month of February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calenders. It is named after the Latin term, februum, meaning purification, via the cleansing ritual of Februa, held on February 15, which acknowledged the coming of Spring. Februa is one of the several Roman festivals and rites that were held in the month of February.
Valentine, (Valentinus) was a real man, who lived during this significant period of time for the Church, during the reign of Claudias II. History and tradition has blurred a little of the reality, and many historians believe that the traditional figure of Saint Valentine, revered by the Catholic Church, is a combination of several martyrs by that name. The most common belief is that Valentinus was a Christian priest, who secretly married Christian couples, who were forbidden to marry by law, in an effort to stop the advancement of Christianity. When he was caught, he was thrown in prison and tortured. He continued to share his love with those in his care, by sending letters to his brothers and sisters on Christ from prison. Another tradition says, that while in prison he fell in love with a young girl, who visited him in prison. She was the daughter of the jailer, and suffered from complete blindness. Supposedly, God enabled Valentinus to miraculously heal her, before his execution. His farewell letter to her was signed, "From Your Valentine". He was beheaded February 14th, either 269 A.D. or 270 A.D
Not very happy, true. Associating the day of Valentine's death, with a holiday celebrating Love and Marriage is really Geoffrey Chaucer's fault, using the legend of Saint Valentine combined with the original pagan holiday of spring to produce some Romantic/Christian/Pagan celebration in his writings. Very little people realize that February 14th, is more of a solemn remembrance to the martyrdom of a Christian saint, then a time to share flowers and jewelry and chocolates with the one you love. None but Christ Himself, may ever know who the true Valentine was, and what he did and how he suffered. But it must have been great, if he is still so memorialized.
When I think of these things, and the true meaning and history of Valentine's Day, it is very sobering. But that doesn't mean that it is not cause for a celebration of some kind. Saint Valentine, whoever he truly was, showed True Love in his actions, his life and his death. It takes that perfect Love, that casts out fear, to die for your Christ. To bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things. (I Corinthians 13) The best, most beautiful, all-encompassing description of LOVE is given by Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471 A.D) in his book, "The Imitation of Christ." I read it and was prostrate. While Valentine's Day has become all about the gifts, instead of the gift of LOVE itself, Thomas admonishes us, "A wise lover regards not so much the gift of Him who loves, as the LOVE of Him who gives. He esteems affection rather than value and sets all gifts below the Beloved."
Remember the gift of TRUE LOVE...not just February 14th, but every day of the year.
Generally, I hate Valentine's Day.
It's not my intention to always be detrimental - I know I display many dissenting opinions on my blog, and I try to have some reserve, despite how harder it it becoming to ignore the decay of American society. So given that most single people hate Valentine's Day, I should rephrase my opinion and say that I hate what Valentine's Day has become.
Valentine's Day is another one of those holidays, like Christmas and Easter, that has completely lost it's true meaning behind all of the commercialism. There are many people who don't know the true Christian meanings to Christmas and Easter, but many Christians aren't even aware of the Christian roots to Valentine's Day. Many think it is a day in celebration of love, while in fact it is become more like a day to guilt you into buying a gift for the one you love. But neither of these meanings are true. While the truth of Christmas and Easter have slowly decayed over time, the facts behind Saint Valentine's Day has been warped from almost the very beginning.
Early Christianity thrived in the pagan atmosphere of the Roman Empire. The very acts of persecution and
denigration meant to hinder the spread of Christianity, only served to encourage the spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the blood of the martyrs watered the seeds that their Christlikeness planted in the hearts of their persecutors. And so the Church flourished...
The month of February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calenders. It is named after the Latin term, februum, meaning purification, via the cleansing ritual of Februa, held on February 15, which acknowledged the coming of Spring. Februa is one of the several Roman festivals and rites that were held in the month of February.
Valentine, (Valentinus) was a real man, who lived during this significant period of time for the Church, during the reign of Claudias II. History and tradition has blurred a little of the reality, and many historians believe that the traditional figure of Saint Valentine, revered by the Catholic Church, is a combination of several martyrs by that name. The most common belief is that Valentinus was a Christian priest, who secretly married Christian couples, who were forbidden to marry by law, in an effort to stop the advancement of Christianity. When he was caught, he was thrown in prison and tortured. He continued to share his love with those in his care, by sending letters to his brothers and sisters on Christ from prison. Another tradition says, that while in prison he fell in love with a young girl, who visited him in prison. She was the daughter of the jailer, and suffered from complete blindness. Supposedly, God enabled Valentinus to miraculously heal her, before his execution. His farewell letter to her was signed, "From Your Valentine". He was beheaded February 14th, either 269 A.D. or 270 A.D
Not very happy, true. Associating the day of Valentine's death, with a holiday celebrating Love and Marriage is really Geoffrey Chaucer's fault, using the legend of Saint Valentine combined with the original pagan holiday of spring to produce some Romantic/Christian/Pagan celebration in his writings. Very little people realize that February 14th, is more of a solemn remembrance to the martyrdom of a Christian saint, then a time to share flowers and jewelry and chocolates with the one you love. None but Christ Himself, may ever know who the true Valentine was, and what he did and how he suffered. But it must have been great, if he is still so memorialized.
When I think of these things, and the true meaning and history of Valentine's Day, it is very sobering. But that doesn't mean that it is not cause for a celebration of some kind. Saint Valentine, whoever he truly was, showed True Love in his actions, his life and his death. It takes that perfect Love, that casts out fear, to die for your Christ. To bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things. (I Corinthians 13) The best, most beautiful, all-encompassing description of LOVE is given by Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471 A.D) in his book, "The Imitation of Christ." I read it and was prostrate. While Valentine's Day has become all about the gifts, instead of the gift of LOVE itself, Thomas admonishes us, "A wise lover regards not so much the gift of Him who loves, as the LOVE of Him who gives. He esteems affection rather than value and sets all gifts below the Beloved."
Remember the gift of TRUE LOVE...not just February 14th, but every day of the year.
"Love is a great thing, yea, altogether a great good; it makes light everything that is heavy, and it carries unevenly all that is uneven. For it carries a burden which is no burden (Matthew 11:30), and makes every bitter thing sweet and tasteful. The noble love of Jesus drives a man to do great things, and stirs him to always long for what is more perfect. Love wills to be on high, and not to be kept back by anything low or mean. Love wills to be free, and estranged from all worldly affection...
Nothing is sweeter than Love, nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in Heaven and earth; because Love is born of God (I John 4:7) and cannot rest but in God, above all created things. A lover flies, runs and rejoices; he is free and not bound. He gives all for all, and has all in all; because he rests in One highest above all things, from whom all that is good flows. He respects not the gifts, but turns himself above all goods unto the Giver.
Love oftentimes knows no measure, but is fervent beyond all measure. Love feels no measure, thinks nothing of labors, attempts what is above it's strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things are possible for itself and all things lawful. It is strong for all things, and it completes many things, and brings them to effect, where he does not Love faints and lies down. Love is watchful, and sleeping, slumbers not. Though wearied, it is not tired; though pressed, it is not straightened; though alarmed, it is not confounded; but as a lively flame and burning torch, it forces its way upward and securely passes through all. If any man Love, he knows what is the cry of this voice. For it is a loud cry in the ears of God, the ardent affection of the soul...
Love is swift, sincere, kindly affectioned, pleasant and delightful; brave, patient, faithful, prudent, longsuffering, manly and never seeking itself. (I Corinthians 13:5) For where a person seeks himself, he falls from Love. (I Corinthians 10:33; Philippians 2:21). Love is circumspect. humble, and upright; not yielding to softness, or to lightness, not attending to vain things. It is sober, chaste, firm quiet...
Enlarge me in LOVE, that in the inward palate of my heart I may learn to taste how sweet it is to LOVE, and in LOVE be dissolved and to bathe myself. Let me be bound by LOVE...let me sing the song of LOVE; let me follow Thee, my Beloved, on High..."
-Thomas a Kempis
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