Keeping the Saint in St. Valentine’s Day
This morning on Facebook, I posted,
Happy Saint Valentine's Day everyone!
(Let's keep the Saint in Saint Valentine's Day!)
Several people liked the post, but one asked,
Why? I'm fine with thinking it was invented by Hallmark.
A friend of a friend on Facebook posted,
Who was St. Valentine? I believe he was beheaded for secretly marrying couples during a time when marriage was banned so that men would be more likely to go to war! St Valentine was therefore canonized by the Catholic Church. Am I right?
Another posted
St Valentine was a pimp... but then again we celebrate slave owners and criminals as well.
So, let’s look at some of what is currently said about St. Valentine online.
Wikipedia lists several stories about St. Valentine, noting that
All that is reliably known of the saint commemorated on February 14 is his name and that he was martyred and buried at a cemetery on the Via Flaminia close to the Milvian bridge to the north of Rome on that day
History.com provides this story:
Under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.
To get rid of the problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.
When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.Wikipedia also mentions this story as one of many about St. Valentine.
While we may never know the true story, there is a timeless truth people performing marriages against orders, to avoid military service, or to promote some greater good.
Marriage was a way to get avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War. Friar Lawrence married Romeo and Juliet in hopes of bringing to warring families together.
Even this past week, we have seen the Alabama Chief Justice order probate judges not to issues marriage licenses to same sex couples after a Federal Judge found the state’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. Some probate judges refused to follow the Chief Justice’s order and a subsequent ruling was expanded the number of probate judges issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples.
So, while, my post was meant as a play on, let’s keep the Christ in Christmas, and the many other lines that inspired, such as let’s keep Thor in Thursday, there is something to celebrate in priests and judges that seek to bring people together against the will of those who would wage war or try to keep people apart.
Happy Saint Valentine’s Day.