VALENTINE’S DAY
By Rev. Fr. Petros Mwale (Mzuzu Diocese)
INTRODUCTION
“Fr. Petros, are Christians encouraged to observe and celebrate Valentine’s Day?” – Edna (Ekwendeni College of Nursing – MALAWI).
RESPONSE
Dear Edna, allow me to highlight the following in my presentation: name VALENTINE, why is it on 14th February, the colour RED and lastly the meaning of this day to a Christian.
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HISTORY
A) Name VALENTINE
Valentine was a Catholic Priest when Claudius (a Roman Emperor) was persecuting the Church. He was born in 226 AD at Terni in Italy and died on February 14, 269 AD in Rome, Italy. Valentine is the patron saint of lovers.
B) WHY CALL FEBRUARY 14 VALENTINE’S DAY?
Emperor Claudius 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.
Valentine secretly married young people (because of the edict). He was eventually caught, imprisoned and tortured for performing marriage ceremonies against the command of Emperor Claudius.
On February 14, 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to a three part execution of beating, stoning, and finally decapitation — all because of his stand for Christian marriage.
C) WHY RED COLOUR?
Red colour symbolizes sacrifice, passion and deep love, and is reserved for those in love or romantic relationships, or those hoping for one. Red is also associated with evoking feelings of passion, desire and love. … That’s exactly why red is the colour of Valentine’s Day.
TRUE VALENTINE
14th February is a day to celebrate love. But not just the romantic kind. If you don’t have a valentine like many people, don’t fret.
There are such rich moments that come from being single. Being single gives you the opportunity to get out there and date and discover who you are, what you like, what you don’t like and what works best for you. Don’t let 14th February be another reminder about how you cant find love.
If you are in a relationship, 14th February isn’t about proving your love to each other, but instead continuing to strip away the layers that prevent love from emerging in your relationship.
CONCLUSION
14th February is a day to celebrate love. Love of yourself, love for life, for struggles, for everyone in your life, for who is in your life as well as love for who is out of your life. If you re single, 14th February is a great day to celebrate your freedom and embrace even more courage to be more open, more loving and more curious about love. Christians must observe and celebrate VALENTINE’S DAY.
Receive my priestly blessings from St. Cecilia Catholic Parish (Mpherembe)
Rev. Fr. Petros Mwale (Mzuzu Diocese – MALAWI: Feedback WhatsApp only +265 884 150 185 )
SOURCES
Thurston, Herbert. “St. Valentine.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1998.
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