Do you know my name? My name is Valentine!!!!

                                                       

                                                               Let me introduce myself further....

My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!

Did I mention that I was a priest? One of my favorite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.

One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

So you see the real Fr. Valentine? Is not about sex, abuse of the body and buying of expensive gifts. Is an expression of love from the heart for the sake of the other person not me.  Valentine day is a time to reflect on the real meaning of love not lust. It is a time to tell everybody around you that you really appreciate their contributions and their sacrifices in your life.

Remember ones more that love is all about seeking the good of the other person for the sake of the other person because that person wants it. Our world is redefining the meaning of the word love to be seeking the good of oneself for the sake of oneself because I want it.  I can see doom for the world ahead if we continue with this individualistic philosophy.

Question to ponder on.
Is he or she seeking my good or his own happiness?
Please use the real meaning and definition of love to assess your relationship to see whether he or she loves you.  

Happy Valentine’s Day to you

Courtesy: Teku K. Richard & Co.