The feast of self-sacrifice – Valentine’s Day

 St. Valentine lived in the third century, during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. It seems the Emperor had difficulty recruiting and keeping men for his army, so he banned marriages and engagements. Valentine, a Roman Catholic priest, was arrested, beaten, and beheaded for performing wedding ceremonies in secret. February 14 is celebrated as his feast day because that is the day he was martyred!

In a very real way then, St. Valentine, much like Sir Thomas Moore and St. John Fisher, died defending the traditional marriage of a lifelong union between a man and a woman, entered into with full consent and no impediments. 

Today, many young couples will exchange Valentines with cards, flowers, and candy. A few years ago, Noah and his bride celebrated their very first Valentine’s Day together. Noah was a proud philosophy major and his girl put these adorable memes together for the inside of his Valentine’s Card.  She went above and beyond and I thought it was very sweet! 

After  40 years of marriage, Mr. Pete and I don’t do much for Valentine’s Day. Before the pandemic, we did perform for the Lion’s Club with the Peace Together Choir. Since it was at my favorite restaurant, The Hartville Kitchen, we got there early and that was our special Valentine’s dinner. Honestly, I’d rather share dinner there for $30 than have a bouquet of roses.

The year before that, Mr. Pete was my super Valentine, driving me to get my knee MRI and taking care of me after oral surgery.  He also took his daughters, granddaughter, and me on a camping trip into Michigan last summer. Those are the things I really appreciate.

I got to reciprocate by taking him to have his nose cauterized twice when it refused to quit bleeding. 

Today I remember the marriages of my in-laws and my grandparents, as well as those of all my aunts and uncles that stayed the course through all of those things we say in the marriage vows – good times and bad, sickness and health, until death. In that way, their very marriages were a  living Valentine – the kind I think Bishop St. Valentine would have been very pleased with!

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