Your Valentine

There was a priest in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II named Valentine. He was arrested, beaten, and imprisoned, and eventually beheaded on February 14, 270 AD.

Why?

Emperor Claudius was trying to recruit for his army and thought that he could better attract young men if he weakened potential future family ties. So, Claudius handed down an edict forbidding marriage. But Valentine saw the ungodliness of such a decree and began to secretly marry young couples in the underground church. Those activities, once uncovered, led to his arrest, imprisonment, and his eventual martyrdom.

While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. Wanting to communicate his feelings, he began to write love notes to her. His last note arrived on the morning of his death, February 14, and ended with the words “Your Valentine.”

On February 14, 496 AD, Valentine’s Day was named in his honor, and the custom of sending notes and sharing expressions of affection on that day began.

On this Valentine’s Day, make sure to take the time to send a note or share an expression of affection toward the one that you love. And you can even sign it, “Your Valentine.”

Pastor Gary