February 14 is an important feast day for both Roman Catholics and Byzantine Catholics as well as Orthodox Christians. It is the feast day of the priest and martyr St. Valentine of Rome, and the feast of the evangelizers and composers of the Slavic alphabet, Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
St. Valentine was a priest in the Roman Empire in the 200s A.D. The story goes that the Roman emperor at the time, Claudius, not only persecuted Christians but had issued an edict restricting marriage for young people under the theory that unmarried men make better, more dedicated soldiers (that is, married men are less likely to risk their necks unquestioningly). Between the edict and the widespread sexual corruption at the time, marriage was in a bad way — a situation that might sound all too familiar to us in the 21st century. Valentine, in defiance of the edict, secretly married many young couples. He was eventually imprisoned for his work and his Christian faith, and, while in jail, he healed the blind daughter of the jailer, Asterius. And that’s where “valentines” come in.
“In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of a beating, stoning, and finally decapitation all because of his stand for Christian marriage. The story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius’ daughter. He inspired today’s romantic missives by signing it, ‘from your Valentine.’”
Legend says that letter began the practice of sending cards “from your valentine” to one’s lover on Feb. 14, which became St. Valentine’s feast day.
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Some people might consider St. Valentine’s story depressing, but it’s very inspirational. There were many young couples who found happiness because he married them in defiance of a government and culture demanding they be satisfied with promiscuity. A young girl regained her sight because of the priest. And St. Valentine himself won eternal happiness in Heaven. The story of Valentine healing the blind girl is particularly interesting because of the age-old claim, “Love is blind.” What St. Valentine proved by his life and death is that love actually brings a clearer sight and a greater joy to life — which is a beautiful message behind the little valentine cards we still send today.
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