While the love of God fills the hearts of all the saints, one among them has the special joy of being known as the patron saint of lovers: Saint Valentine.
According to tradition, Saint Valentine risked his life to unite couples in Christian marriage during a time of persecution. He eventually gave his life in martyrdom, the highest expression of love and fidelity. His devotion to Jesus Christ and his defense of the Sacrament of Matrimony inspire believers to raise human love to the level of divine love, for which humanity was created.
Christians are invited to use this feast as an opportunity to rediscover the true Christian meaning of love and marriage in the light of Christ.
In the weeks leading up to Saint Valentine’s Day, shops are filled with pink and red cards, heart shaped boxes of chocolates, and decorations featuring cherubs aiming arrows of love. This modern imagery stands in sharp contrast to the real Saint Valentine, an early Christian martyr who was beaten and beheaded for his faith.
The celebration also differs greatly from an ancient Roman fertility rite observed in mid February, when men ran through the streets striking women with strips of animal hide from sacrificed animals, a ritual believed to promote health and fertility.
Early records mention at least three martyrs named Valentine commemorated on February 14. There is also reference to an African Valentine who suffered persecution with companions, though little is known about him.
The Saint Valentine honored today may have been a Roman priest or the bishop of Interamna, present day Terni in Italy. Both accounts describe a man persecuted and executed for his faith and buried along the Flaminian Way. Some scholars believe these accounts refer to the same person.
Saint Valentine was martyred around the year 270 during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. After a period of imprisonment, he was beaten and beheaded. Devotion to him spread locally, and Pope Julius I later built a basilica near Rome over his burial site. His skull is preserved in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome and is adorned with flower crowns on his feast day.
He lived during a time of severe crisis in the Roman world marked by political instability, economic turmoil, and external invasions. These conditions contributed to broader persecution of Christians across the empire.
Several traditions associated with Saint Valentine reflect his life. One story tells that he befriended the jailer’s daughter and left her a note signed “From your Valentine” before his death. Another tradition holds that he secretly married soldiers after the emperor forbade marriage among them, believing unmarried men made better soldiers.
The Christian celebration of Saint Valentine’s Day also replaced the pagan festival of Lupercalia. In the fifth century, Pope Gelasius sought to provide a Christian alternative to this popular but crude ritual.
Other modern symbols of the day come from later cultural influences. The figure of Cupid, the archer of love, originates from Roman mythology rather than the life of the saint. Likewise, chocolates became associated with the celebration many centuries after his death.
Despite these additions, Saint Valentine’s witness remains meaningful. His life reminds Christians that genuine love requires sacrifice and self giving. Even when martyrdom is not demanded, every act of true love contains an element of self sacrifice and faithful commitment.