My lover speaks; he says to me,"Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!" For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs,and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. "Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,and come!" Song of Songs 2:10-13
Romantic love, eros, has a place and a purpose in God’s plan, a dignity to draw man and woman toward marriage, family and ultimately toward God. The deep desire that man and woman have for each other is a sign of the ultimate desire of the human heart for deep union with God.
There is an even greater love, agape love. Agape love is loving God above ourselves, above all things and above all people. There is perhaps no greater example of agape love than that of the martyrs. They were willing to give up everything for Christ, paying the supreme price of this love, the gift of their very own life.
Saint Valentine was a martyr. Christian tradition recognizes two saints from the early Church as “Valentine.” The first was the Roman priest Valentine. He was decapitated in 268 AD for the crime of trying to convert a member of Emperor Claudius. He was also a renowned healer. The second Valentine is Bishop Valentine who was also a renowned healer and was turned in for converting people to Christianity. He was imprisoned and the attempt was made to force him to sacrifice to pagan gods. When he refused an attempt was made to club him to death. When that failed he was beheaded in 273 AD. It is interesting that both Saint Valentines were renowned healers. Jesus is Our Divine Healer and He heals with His love.
Eros is noble and necessary, a love to be celebrated, but there is no greater love, agape, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it 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. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Saint Valentine, Protector of Marriages, pray for us and for all those we pray for.
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