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St. Valentine
St. Valentine, taken from Portrait of SaintsFeast Day: February 14Patron of: Beekeepers, engaged couples, happy marriages, love, travellers and young peopleMartyred: February 14, 269 or 270St. Valentine was a Roman bishop during the third century. As a way to protest the war going on at that time, St. Valentine took to marrying engaged couples in the Church. The army only accepted single men; so marriage disqualified them from being enlisted and fighting in the war. This led to St. Valentine being arrested. While imprisoned, he healed his jailer's blind daughter and wrote her a farewell letter signed, "From Your Valentine." After he tried to convert the Claudius II, he was sentenced to death by beating, stoning, and beheading.While it is possible that the marrying of young couples or this letter could be at the heart of the association of St. Valentine with love, there's not a documented connection. Other possibilities include: redirecting worship from a pagan god to Christian living and birds choosing their mates on that day (why St. Valentine is sometimes pictured with birds). No matter which origin is the correct one, the tradition of celebrating his feast is one which calls us to turn our eyes to God and Christian love and away from worldly allurements and desire.Ways to celebrate:
- Kids can watch this cartoon about St. Valentine or listen to his story
- Make heart shaped biscuits, pancakes, or cinnamon rolls
- Decorate with red (color of martyrdom and love)
- Do a heart hunt (cut out hearts and hide them around your house for the kids to find)
- Renew your wedding vows
- Be God's "Valentine" for someone (give them a little gift, do an act of service, etc)