Essay: Saint Valentine

Saint Valentine
Saint Valentine is an important saint in the Church today. His feast day is on February 14th each year. Since he lived so long ago, not much information is known about his life. We don’t know when he was born, but we do know that he died in about the year 269 A.D. Saint Valentine was canonized pre-congregation. He spent most of his life living in the Italian city of Terni. Valentine is the patron saint of many, many things, including affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. The most prevalent symbols used in depictions of Saint Valentine are birds. Despite being in a time period that was an extremely long time ago, Saint Valentine lived in a time of tension. The Roman Empire was constantly under attack from the numerous barbarian tribes. Also, the Emperor at the time issued an edict that outlawed marriage for young men in hopes they would more likely join the army without a wife or children to worry about. Despite the growing hostility towards Christians, Saint Valentine remained strong in the faith.
Some things in Valentine’s early life is not known, but some things we do. We don’t know when Saint Valentine was born, but we do know that he was born with a life-long disease called epilepsy. Even though he had a seizure disorder, that didn’t stop him from helping others with illnesses. He lived in the city of Terni in Italy of most of his life. Valentine was a well-known healer/doctor and priest. He helped those in need of medical help. He encouraged young couples to marry regardless of the edict the Emperor created. He married couples in secret and was caught. And some people say he also married couples so that the men didn’t have to go to war. Saint Valentine was also a distinguished leader in the church who helped many people who were being persecuted by the Emperor.
Later in Valentine’s life, he was eventually found, arrested for disobeying the Emperor’s wishes, and sent to prison. Even though he was in prison, that didn’t stop him from continuing his work. Many of his followers visited him in prison. Also, he sent letters of encouragement to other prisoners. One story is about Saint Valentine healing the Jailer’s blind daughter. The story goes like this. The jailer asked Saint Valentine to heal his blind daughter. Since she was blind, Valentine read her books, taught her math, and described the world to her. The family of the girl was so impressed with his works they converted to Christianity. The Emperor was infuriated. He sentenced Valentine to death on February 14th. Before he was killed, he gave the jailer’s daughter a card that supposedly said, “From your Valentine.” The card also held a crocus flower, and that flower was the first thing the girl saw. Saint Valentine was martyred on the 14th by being beaten with clubs and beheaded. He was buried on Flaminian Way in a catacomb.           “Even centuries after his death, the story of Valentine’s sacrifice for love became legendary in Rome.” (Doulos Partners).
Saint Valentine is a saint because of his trust in the faith, his leadership, miracle(s), helped others, and his love. He trusted God throughout his life and even on his last breath as he was dying. Valentine showed leadership even as he was imprisoned, he kept teaching to his followers. His many believed miracles, such as healing the blind girl, shined a light on the world. Saint Valentine helped others through hard times, especially those who were persecuted by the emperor, by providing a shelter in the storm. His infinite love for all people, even to the emperor who gave the order to kill him, showed how God was always there, even in the bleakest of days.
Saint Valentine has numerous qualities that I would be honored to have. I would like to be more of a leader instead of a “sort-of compliant” follower. Valentine led his followers courageously until his last days. It is human nature to judge others, but Valentine didn’t let that quality of humans get in the way of helping others. So, I would like to judge others less than I already do. In addition, I would like to heal others with their ails as he did by being a doctor. And finally, I would prefer to be more loving to others because I tend to shut others out if I’m having a bad day. Saint Valentine loved others even on his worst day and gave them the care and medicine they needed to get better.
To be more like Saint Valentine I can help others more by being some sort of a doctor or physician. I can heal or cure others of diseases or ailment that they might have. I can also be compassionate towards others and love my neighbors. For example, I could help the elderly or leave flowers at their door one day to make their day better. Leaders not only lead others in your community but helps the community that looks up to you. I can also be more like him by being a leader in my community. By serving Thanksgiving Dinner at a charity during Thanksgiving Day helps those in need in my community. Finally, to be more like Valentine, I cannot judge others by their appearances as much as I do. By being more open and accepting towards others, I can be a better person.
Saint Valentine has a lasting impact on the Church. He makes an impact by showing astounding courage in the nefarious face of malevolence and a belief and surefootedness in the faith. He provides an example of how important the gift of love is in our world today.
Secular: of or relating to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred; temporal. Most people in the secular world think of Valentine’s Day when Saint Valentine is mentioned. But to those who do think of the saint that Valentine’s Day was named after, what do most people think he symbolizes? Two meaningful words come to mind. Love: affectionate greetings conveyed to someone on one’s behalf. Courage: the ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief. Saint Valentine is practically the definition for these words. He provides an excellent example of how to treat others, even when their ethic is inadequate.