St Valentine’s Day

When I was growing up, the celebration of St Valentine's was simply unknown in my culture (you know, RC-latino). From time to time we would hear about such festivity happening mostly in the US, particularly through cartoons like Snoopy.

Personally I always considered the day of love to be September 21st, when spring sprouts in South America (of course) hahahahaha. Traditionally, we celebrated love and friendship that day, some parties, and it was over. There wasn't such effort to send cards, sms-messages, chocolates, flowers or stuff like that. But times change in this global village.

So, because everything seems to be Valentinized I tried to find something about the origins of this celebration. And fortunately, the Anglican Church as usual a recommendable source, provided the needed info, despite the heavy turmoils affecting it recently, but that's another story.

Today's prayers are introduced by the following text:

The Church’s commemoration of Valentine has nothing to do with lovers! It originated with two separate people, both called Valentine. Valentine of Terni was a 3rd century bishop who was martyred at Rome in 273. Valentine of Rome was a priest who was also martyred for his faith in the mid 3rd century. It is likely that these two stories became confused over time, with the two martyrdoms becoming in effect one commemoration.

The present-day custom of sending cards and flowers declaring love may owe its existence to John Donne who wrote a marriage song for Princess Elizabeth’s marriage to Frederick V, Elector Palatine on St Valentine’s Day in 1632. Donne’s marriage song merged the religious commemoration of Valentine with fertility symbolism.

Adapted from John Darch and Stuart Burns Saints on Earth (Church House Publishing, 2004)

Anyway, it seems that the true celebration is the commemoration of faithful men who gave their lives for their faith. Therefore, if you wish "Happy Valentine" to anybody, think of what it truly means. I wish my readers to be inspired by these two Velentines, so that you may be strengthened in your faith in Jesus Christ.

I want also to cite the first prayer of the day as a blessing for the reader:

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING FOR LOVE

Lord God, we thank you that through our earthly lives
you speak of your eternal life.
We rejoice in the wonder of creation,
the gift of life, the joy of love,
and the many blessings that our relationships bring.
Renew in us the fruits of your Holy Spirit;
that we may know your love, joy and peace,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Adapted from New Patterns for Worship