From the Living Faith Foundation: As we look to Valentine’s Day

If you’re planning to take someone out for Valentine’s Day this year, I hope you have your restaurant reservation already made! While St. Valentine’s feast has become a focus on romantic love, the stories around the saint are more about how he practiced agape love, a love for others that required great sacrifice. While historians aren’t sure of all the details, we understand St. Valentine of Rome was martyred Feb. 14, 269 A.D. Church historians from the early Middle Ages wrote

that he was executed for refusing to deny Christ, and, before he was executed, Valentine restored the sight and hearing to his jailer’s daughter.

St. Valentine’s story causes me to pause and think about how I show care and love to people who aren’t exactly loving, or even just kind, to me. I would think he could have caused a cure for anyone. Why his jailer’s daughter? It’s a powerful example of how we can live the Christ’s message: “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (Mt. 5:44).”

The Word of God changes hearts and minds. It’s changed me profoundly over the years. As we look forward to Valentine’s Day, please join me in reflecting on Christ’s powerful words in Matthew’s Gospel, especially chapter 5:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (vv. 43–48).

And may your Valentine’s Day be filled with perfect love!

In gratitude,