SAINTS
Saint
Valentine (269)
Valentine
was a pagan priest who lived during the grotesque Roman persecution
against Christians. Though
he wasn't a Christian himself, he was repulsed by the Roman tortures
and began secretly to protect believers.
Helping
Christians was a serious crime and Valentine landed in a dull, dark
prison. His time there
would have been fairly short, except while there he became a
Christian. The result:
Valentine was sentenced
to death.
During
his last days, Valentine often thought of his family and friends.
Since they were forbidden to visit, they developed a unique way
of sending messages to each other.
Valentine would squeeze his arm through the bars in his window
to reach the violets that grew outside.
Each day, after picking a heart-shaped leaf, he would carefully
pierce it with a message like "Remember your Valentine."
He would then send it to his loved ones by way of homing
pigeons supplied by his family. Toward
the end of his life the message changed to a simple, daily 'I love
you.'
When
he refused to renounce his Christian faith and turn back on the Lord
he had grown to love, Valentine was clubbed to death in his cell on
February 14, 269 AD.
For
Valentine, love was more than the mushy gushy stuff we think of today.
It was above sentimental feelings or infatuation.
It was deeper than sexual attraction or physical desire.
It was a love tough enough to survive the rugged times of life.
Love
is more than a feeling that comes and goes.
It is not based on circumstance, climate, clothes, character or
come-ons. It is a
commitment that carries a price tag.
It demands action.
It
means caring for a person even if they are in a bitter angry mood.
It means putting the other person's needs, desires and wishes
before yours. It means
going out of your way to accept, respect and forgive.
To
love is to give, even if it hurts.
That's what God did. The
Bible says 'God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.'
That
giving sent Christ to the cross where He paid for our sins.
That
giving grants acceptance though we do not deserve it.
That
giving offers forgiveness even before we ask.
All
we need to do is acknowledge our need, believe God did it for us and
call upon Him to apply the benefits of His love to our lives.
Instead
of growing bitter, Saint Valentine sent his message of love everyday.
It was a message about his love for the Lord and his family.
But it cost everything.
This
Valentines Day, remember Valentine.
-
story told by Pastor Daryl Kroeker
<<
FEBRUARY SAINTS
back to top
