PRIEST, MARTYR, (DIED 269 AD)

Valentine, a Roman priest and physician, distinguished himself during the persecution of Emperor Claudius the 10th by helping numerous Christians to escape and by ministering to those in prison. In this work he was ably assisted by St.Maris and his family, the Persian pilgrims to Rome, whose martyrdom is commemorated on January 19th.
St. Valentine was at length apprehended, severely beaten with clubs and beheaded. The Christians buried him in a catacomb about a half mile outside the city gate, and there pope St.Julius 1 constructed an underground basilica in the 4th century,
which Honorius 1 restored in the 7th from this later
period dates an ancient fresco painting of the crucifixion, which is remarkable for being the only
representation of our Lord's death to have ever been discovered in any of the catacombs. St.Valentine is the patron saint of young couples who are engaged to be married and on his feast day the popular Valentine
Greetings are sent out, a custom which seems to have
originated in the middle ages in connection with the current belief that the birds do mate on February 14th
of each year.
The name Valentine is of Latin origin and it means
STRONG

Valentine's Day

The world over, Valentine's day is taken to be lover's day. Differences abound in the way it is celebrated depending on one's religious affiliation and beliefs.
Generally, people exchange cards and other gift items,
organise social gatherings and the like. The crucial.
question is, what type of love is celebrated or should
be celebrated on Valentine's day?
At this point we can distinguish four different kinds of love namely; Erotic love
Filia love
Platonic love and
Agape love (Christian love).
Erotic love is the love between both sexes, it refers to
physical love, sexual love.
Filia love has to do with family affection, it describes the love of parents for their children and of children
for their parents.
Platonic love is the love that exists between friends. it
is non- sexual.
Agape (Christian) love. This has to do with the mind.
it is not merely an emotion which rises in our hearts, it is a deliberate principle of the mind. it is the power to love the unlovable and those we do not like. This love
extends beyond our nearest and dearest, our kith and
kin, our friends and those who love us.
Agape is impossible for anyone except a christian. No
one can practically live out this Christian love (Agape)
unless Christ lives in him since He gives us the power to love by his indwelling spirit (Rom. 5-5).
Consequently, Christians should not celebrate Valentine's day in a worldly and pagan way. They are not to copy those unbelievers who give free rein to their libidos on Valentine's day. For them it's a time for boy-girl friends or man-woman friends to"rock" and enjoy themselves even when they are not married.

Rather it's a time for married couples to renew their love for each other, a time for the family to come close together in a spirit of love and renewal, a time to
reassure family members of our love and care.

It is a time for reconciliation between all marrying parties, a time to eschew all that breeds violence, hatred, acrimony and disaffection. As a Christian community, it's a time to express love to the needy in our midst. Christian love brings true love, in the family, goes out to the brotherhood (church), to our
neighbours.

Valentine is all about expressing true love in a truly acceptable manner as true Christians, brothers and
sisters of Jesus the Lord.

this whole thing is now generally misunderstood....