As history records: Saint Valentine was a Catholic priest, who lived in the Rome of 250 A.D. Rome, at that time was ruled by an Emperor Claudius Caesar, who wanted a large army for Rome, and he thought that men would voluntarily join, as every nation's muscles of importance was expressed in the strength of the army, measured by the number of troops. But Claudius Caesar discovered that many men just did not want to leave their wives and lovers to sign up for battle. This made Claudius Caesar very mad.

The Emperor evolved a crazy idea, which required men to be barred from marriage, believing that the men would not resist enlistment in his army. So he decided not allow the conduct and officiating of more marriages, and passed the law banning marriages. Saint Valentine, then notorious for encouraging couples deciding to get wedded, thought it ridiculous, and believed that such decision was an expression of madness. The fact that the decree banning further marriages, spelling death penalty for any violation of the law.

This threat did not in any way restrain Saint Valentine from his continuous performance of marriage ceremonies. However, from the time the ban was instituted, Saint Valentine upgraded to conduct this solemn ceremony secretly, and mostly at night. He would conduct the exchange of bows in hush tones, while being attentive to possible steps of approaching soldiers.

As was destined. Saint Valentine's attention that last night, was distracted from hearing the footsteps of soldiers as they approached his hideout. The couple whose matrimony he was solemnising escaped, while he was arrested and thrown into the jail, knowing fully well that he would await death as his penalty.

This drew empathy to all classes of the citizens of Rome, especially among the youths. Many youths visited the jail to visit to encourage him. They brought flowers with notes of love with feelings of great affection which they threw up through his window. They all needed him to know that they all believed in love he demonstrated, and they assured him of their identifying with his cause.

One among the young people was the daughter of the prison warders, loved so affectionately by her father. She asked and got permitted by her father to visit Saint Valentine in his jail cell under security watch. Noth friends would often sit and talk for several hours. She would tell Saint Valentine that she believed that he did the right thing by ignoring the Claudius Caesar, to keep on in performing marriage ceremonies.

On the day Saint Valentine.was to be executed,while his young friend was away and he thought it wise to leave a note for her, personally.signing it in the words: "Love from your Valentine". Saint Valentine died on February 14, 269 A.D. This was how February 14 is celebrated as Saint Valentine's day.

Saint Valentine backed up his belief in love with action. He insisted on performing marriage ceremonies even though he knew he could die for dusobeying the decree of the Emperor Claudius Caesar. "For God so loved the world that he gave..." Even God, in his demonstration of his love for entire creation took action: he gave His only son for the redemption of entire creative tendencies.

Any love therefore that us not expressed in giving but in taking with no back up with an act of love is a fraud. Love is an active verb. 1 John 3: 16,18 says "Herein perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:.and we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

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