Sacrificial Love: True Meaning of St. Valentine’s Day

By now, we have seen every major retailer switching over to Valentine’s Day consumerism. It falls on February 14th every year. We can easily go all out for that special someone by getting him or her all the chocolate or another need they desire. The holiday that has been commercialized by a secular culture that has once more abandoned its Catholic roots. His facts have long been lost to history. It is no coincidence that our secular culture continues to hijack the Catholic meaning of many holidays. Catholics can reclaim this once prolific holiday that at its heart promotes what true love means.

Let’s review the facts about St. Valentine. He is the patron of marriage.  This third century Roman saint was martyred and buried along the Flaminian Way just north of Rome. Some stories say he presided over marriages of many Christian couples in ceremonies done in secret due to religious persecution of the time. Another story about the final days of his life tells of how he was imprisoned and sentenced to death for refusing to renounce his faith. While in prison, he healed the jailer’s blind daughter, then left her a note on the day of his execution, signed, “Your Valentine.”

Whether those facts survived into the 21st century or not, we can agree that this saint has a profound message about love that is needed in the modern era. At the heart of his ministry, St. Valentine preached about fidelity, sacrifice, and faith.

Fidelity is at the heart of the message brought forth by this Roman bishop. He understood how valuable it is to each other. Today, the Catholic Church continues to call men and women into the love that permeates in the Sacrament of Matrimony. It is not just a love between a husband and love but also towards their children as they prepare them for heaven.

Without sacrifice, there is no love. For dating and married couples, each is called to offer a sacrifice to show his or her love. Some had to leave their job to pick up the spouse in a predicament, help the kids who are sick, or help a close relative make certain commitments like doctor visits. Like many who died to promote the faith, St. Valentine displayed the ultimate act of love by sacrificing his life for the one, true, and holy faith that has resonated into today’s world.

St. Valentine demonstrated not just acts of love but also faith. In his final moments, he gave a note after helping to heal a jailer’s daughter. He also attempted to call Emperor Claudius to repentance. We can imitate this by showing acts of faith daily. We pray for our enemies and neighbors. Our faith must also be put into action. It is one thing to say that we’re Catholic. It is different when we provide our faith with lip service. We even encounter people where they are.

With St. Valentine’s Day approaching, let us take the first step today to make the holiday about sacrificial love instead of commercial love.

Two take aways can be found from two saints, Saints Thomas Aquinas and Paul. First, St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us, “Love is the decision to always want the best for the other and to help attain it.” This beloved hound of the church was ahead of his time. Couples don’t just need to hug, kiss, and display their affection to show love, but they also must do things for love’s sake.

Here's one final thought about love from St. Paul. We’ve heard it time and time again, yet it resonates to all of us in this relativistic culture.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”