Often, people mindlessly celebrate Valentine s day with no real connection to the dynamic legend of Saint Valentine. Valentine s Day is a great opportunity for us to broaden our understanding of love and its power. We have missed the deeper meaning of Valentine s Day by singling out romantic love as the focus of this holiday s ultimate meaning. Love is multifaceted. It is more than emotion.
Love is a force that can motivate, create, heal, and transform the lives of anyone it touches.
Under the pressure of commercialism, most of us have forgotten that this holiday was created to recognize a saint. Legend has it that Claudius II outlawed marriage as a way to encourage men to join his army. Valentine refused to obey this law and was arrested for secretly performing weddings for young couples. While in prison, Valentine s kindness and positive attitude helped convert the jailer and his wife to Christianity. According to the legend, Valentine also befriended the jailer s blind daughter, often writing her notes of encouragement and praying for her.