Happy St Valentine Day

Good Day, Beautiful People!

14th of February is celebrated in many nations known as Saint Valentine’s Day, also known as Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine.

“The origin of this holiday for the expression of love really isn’t romantic at all — at least not in the traditional sense. Father Frank O’Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, tells the real story of the man behind the holiday — St. Valentine.

“He was a Roman Priest at a time when there was an emperor called Claudias who persecuted the church at that particular time,” Father O’Gara explains. ” He also had an edict that prohibited the marriage of young people. This was based on the hypothesis that unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers because married soldiers might be afraid of what might happen to them or their wives or families if they died.”

“I think we must bear in mind that it was a very permissive society in which Valentine lived,” says Father O’Gara. “Polygamy would have been much more popular than just one woman and one man living together. And yet some of them seemed to be attracted to Christian faith. But obviously the church thought that marriage was very sacred between one man and one woman for their life and that it was to be encouraged. And so it immediately presented the problem to the Christian church of what to do about this.”

“The idea of encouraging them to marry within the Christian church was what Valentine was about. And he secretly married them because of the edict.”

Valentine was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against command of Emperor Claudius the second. There are legends surrounding Valentine’s actions while in prison.

“One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind. He was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result.”

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.”

“What Valentine means to me as a priest,” explains Father O’Gara, “is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe. And with the power of the Holy Spirit we can do that — even to the point of death.”

Valentine’s martyrdom has not gone unnoticed by the general public. In fact, Whitefriars Street Church is one of three churches that claim to house the remains of Valentine. Today, many people make the pilgrimage to the church to honor the courage and memory of this Christian saint.

“Valentine has come to be known as the patron saint of lovers. Before you enter into a Christian marriage you want some sense of God in your life — some great need of God in your life. And we know, particularly in the modern world, many people are meeting God through his Son, Jesus Christ.”

“If Valentine were here today, he would say to married couples that there comes a time where you’re going to have to suffer. It’s not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage. Don’t be surprised if the ‘gushing’ love that you have for someone changes to something less “gushing” but maybe much more mature. And the question is, is that young person ready for that?”

“So on the day of the marriage they have to take that into context,” Father O’Gara says. “Love — human love and sexuality is wonderful, and blessed by God — but also the shadow of the cross. That’s what Valentine means to me.”
-By David Kithcart from CBN.

Valentine poetry
Je suis desja d’amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée…
-Charles d’Orléans, Rondeau VI lines 1–2

To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn’d his clothes,
And dupp’d the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
-William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

Hayle Bishop Valentine whose day this is
All the Ayre is thy Diocese
And all the chirping Queristers
And other birds ar thy parishioners
Thou marryest every yeare
The Lyrick Lark, and the graue whispering Doue,
The Sparrow that neglects his life for loue,
The houshold bird with the redd stomacher
Thou makst the Blackbird speede as soone,
As doth the Goldfinch, or the Halcyon
The Husband Cock lookes out and soone is spedd
And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bed.
This day more cheerfully than ever shine
This day which might inflame thy selfe old Valentine.
—John Donne, Epithalamion Vpon Frederick Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth marryed on St. Valentines day

The modern cliché Valentine’s Day poem can be found in the collection of English nursery rhymes Gammer Gurton’s Garland (1784):
The rose is red, the violet’s blue,
The honey’s sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou’d be you.

Modern Valentine Day may view just for couples expression of their romantic love. The singles, divorced and married couples who are not in love can be a difficult day with the external and commercial pressure of the world. I am not here to ease your pain or loneliness or even think it is acceptable. It is easy to feel unloved and blue or even depressed in situation like that. It may be hard to believe you’re loved. The Creator of the Universe who created you and your parents who passionately in love that is why you are here. Even if you’re born out of wedlock, considered a product of a loved child or even orphan.

The most important thing is your attitude towards love. Learn to love yourself like the way the Creator love you. Do something for yourself, celebrate you. You can spend time with your single friends, family or do something special for yourself. Get creative after all love is not just for couples. I remembered each time me or my sibling broke out with our ex boyfriend or ex girlfriend or we were singles especially at Valentine Day, mom always came up with creative ideas to celebrate the day as a family… ordered special meals or cooked us our favourite food and yummy dessert. We played silly games or watched fun comedy shows or go to the movies together. Another one of our favourite is going to the shopping mall together to get something special for us.

Even when I was on my own, I would always do something special to celebrate me. Eat my favourite food, listen to my favourite music, dance with myself, have some bubbly or wine, dark chocolate and nice long spa bath, massage or facial or a health retreat. Finish the day meditating on God’s promises. I treasure taking time for myself, nourishing myself. Physically, mentally and spiritually preparing myself like a bride. Be the person you like to spend time with because you are worthy it. Find your own groove, party Uno. Instead of feeling defeated and throwing yourself a pity party. Take time to pray for your soul mate, pray he or she is preparing himself or herself for your future together. It is better to be single then settle for second best or whoever come along. Enjoy your singlehood, your freedom doing things you love, travelling, see the world, build your ministry, career or business then married to a wrong person. Besides, if you never enjoy your singlehood life, it is harder for you to enjoy your marriage life. Your soul mate will come at God’s timing. Unless you are the chosen ones to be celibate or single for life.

Believe His Promises:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. -1Cor13:4-8

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. -1Jn4:7

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. -Prov17:17

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. -1Cor13:3

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. -Rev21:2

Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. -Rev19:7

Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. -Rev19:8

You were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body. -1Cor6:20
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. -Eph5:31

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. -Eph5:25

You may or may not know there is a God who loves you so much even before you’re born. No human being can love the way He loves you! The agape love that willing to get down to earth as a simple, poor, carpenter from His magnificent, wealthy, Heavenly Kingdom to win your love by dying for you 2000 years ago. Knowing very well you may never say yes and love Him back. If you’re reading this and searching for someone to fill that void that no person can fill. Give Jesus the chance to make a difference in your life. Try Him if it does not work out for you the world can have you back. Truly, I like to be able to see you in Heaven one day, it will never be the same without you.
Repeat after me: “Dear Jesus, I need You in my life. I acknowledge that I have made mistakes and I come to You right now confessing that and asking your forgiveness. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I believe You are the Son of God and that You rose from the dead and are alive today. I open the door of my heart and receive You as my Saviour and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my wrongdoings and giving me eternal life. Please take control of my life from here forward and make me the kind of person you want me to be. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”