Who was Valentine?

It is not uncommon to celebrate days without the slightest clue of their origin. Such a day is the traditional Valentine’s Day, or The Feast of Saint Valentine. “Valentine” derives from valens, which means strong, worthy, or powerful. These are apt descriptions for this little appreciated martyr.

Tradition and legends abound. The truth is we do not know much about the life of St. Valentine.  What we do know is that around 278 AD, Valentine, a holy priest in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed. The precise day is well acknowledged as February 14th.

Claudius was known for his cruelty. His unpopular and bloody campaigns required a strong army. To Claudius’ vexation, he was not able to draw many Roman soldiers to his cause. Valentine believed that the soldiers were strongly attached to their wives and families. As a result, Claudius banished marriages and engagements in Rome.[1] Valentine believed this to be a great injustice and continued to perform marriages.

Another factor that made Valentine unpopular with Claudius was his commitment to help persecuted Christians. Valentine was faithful to the Christ he served.

Valentine’s high disregard for the laws of Claudius the Cruel and his strong faith were cause for arresting the 3rd century priest. “He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded.”[2]

On this day, we celebrate this faithful saints who died for love; love of truth, and love for Christ; the Christ who gave His life that His Bride might live abundantly.