14/02/2020
Today is the Feast of Saint Valentine, as celebrated in the Old Liturgical Calendar, and now commonly secularly known as Valentines Day.
Saint Valentine is a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14 and commonly associated with "courtly love."
According to the Nuremberg Chronicle, St. Valentine was a Roman priest martyred during Claudius' reign. The story tells that St. Valentine was imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Both acts were considered serious crimes. A relationship between the saint and emperor began to grow until Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. Claudius became raged and sentenced Valentine to death, commanding him to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.
St. Valentine refused to renounce his faith and Christianity and was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269. However, other tales of St. Valentine's life claim he was executed either in the year 269, 270, 273 or 280. Other depictions of St. Valentine's arrests tell that he secretly married couples so husbands wouldn't have to go to war. Another variation of the legend of St. Valentine says he refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, was imprisoned and while imprisoned he healed the jailer's blind daughter. On the day of his ex*****on, he left the girl a note signed, "Your Valentine."
In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom. In 1969, the Roman Catholic Church removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar, because so little is known about him. However, the church still recognizes him as a saint, listing him in the February 14 spot of Roman Martyrolgy.
PRAYER
O glorious advocate and protector, St. Valentine,
Look with pity upon our wants, hear our prayers,
relieve by your intercession the miseries under which we labor,
and obtain for us the divine blessing, that we may be found
worthy to join you in praising the Almighty for all eternity:
through the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
