Theresa Obila OGAR

 

Muttering, “These soldiers are cowards! They are picking their families and not wanting to die for their country!” He stood up, paced in his chamber and a thought struck him. Full of pride and beating his chest, he screamed, “I emperor Claudius II Gothicus must win this war against the Goths and Germanic Tribe! No one! No one conquers me! No one can stop me!” He adjusted his regalia, rings and crown, clenched his jaw as a sign of determination and stormed out.

 

“Councillors of this great Nation! We have a New Order! The stronger men are getting married! Why are they getting married when we are losing on the battle field?! There are no conscriptions! Even the soldiers on the field are running away from the pressure points because they have wives and children, and our enemies are attacking!” His voice reverberating nonstop in the palace with quiet councilors waiting for the new order to win the war. Emperor Claudius II Gothicus continued, “Desperate measures for desperate times! The single men are stronger, this is the decree: No Single Man, I said No Single Man must get married! They are all to join the army! We must win the war!”

 

The decree was sent out, the whole Nation couldn't fully understand it, but they dared not question the great emperor.

Gradually, the mistletoe trees had no one taking shade there, some lovers cried and parted ways, PDAs disappeared into thin air, and Marriage registries and classes became empty.

 

In that same nation was a man who had the power vested on him by his ordination to bless marriages; he was a priest and physician. Some say he was the Bishop of Terni, Italy. This man understood the sanctity of the sacrament of Marriage- an institution created by God. He understood the divine love and couldn't stand the Romans who wanted to get married be denied their right to love and be loved. So he secretly wedded young couples, thereby defying Emperor Claudius’ selfish order to win the war.

 

The emperor noticed his decree wasn't effective enough, men were still not joining the army, he got to the root of the matter. “Who the hell is Fr. Valentine?!!!” He rose up angrily from his seat, scattered the table, pouring the wine, flinging the cups and jars away, and staining his waiters. The sight of the mess was a chaos. “The emperor gives an order, and a certain Fr. Valentine defies it?!!! Bring him here, in fact, drag him all the way down, beat the hell out of him, I mean brutally!!!” He screamed at the faces of the guards already kneeling to receive the orders. He paused then laughed hysterically, and abruptly stooped. “Hahahaha! Cut off his head! Behead him in Via Flamina! A lesson must be learnt!!!”

 

The guards displaying their obeisance, jumped right out, and immediately carried out the order.

Fr. Valentine was dragged, brutally beaten and beheaded in Via Flamina, Rome. His offence – He stood for true love and the sacrament of Marriage as against selfishness.

 

Not until 496 AD did Pope Gelasius I declared the day of his death, February 14th, around 270 AD to honour his martyrdom did St. Valentine become known Worldwide for his heroic deed of honouring the sanctity of marriage and true love. He became the Patron Saint of lovers.

 

However, historians argue that the Pope did that to overtake the Lupercian Festival; a celebration of sensual pleasure; an ode to the pagan god of fertility - Lepercus.

 

Relics of St. Valentine's body can be found in the Church of Santa Prassede which was transferred during the pontificate of Nicholas IV from the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which remained an important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages. Also, his skull, crowned with flowers, is exhibited in a glass reliquary at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. And a shoulder blade housed at the Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Prague (after having been discovered in the church’s basement in 2002).

 

Other relics of him including a vessel tinged with his blood in addition to several other artifacts are in Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, Dublin, Ireland, a popular place of pilgrimage, especially on Saint Valentine's Day, for those seeking love.

 

As his name implies strength, power (Valens), Valentine stood for true love deeply rooted in compassion, and the sacredness of human connection. However, in our world today, in a bid to celebrate this day of love, the abuse of love is ubiquitous.

 

Lets start from the angle of commercialization and consumerism. The exchange of gift which is a great thing is often times not rooted in love, it's either rooted in duty or for selfish gains. Some give gifts for the valentine period because they want something (most times selfish) in return. Everywhere you see “For him, For her” package with high profiteering scheme, not because of the origin of love that the celebration is about. Don't be shocked that someone’s superficial relationships will be ended that day either because they didn't get a Valentine’s Day gift or the gift wasn't enough. That wasn't the kind of love that St. Valentine stood and died for.

 

From the angle of ignorance, especially for youngsters who are still navigating the dating scene, it might be a day to derive pleasure meant for the married people, it might be a day for infidelity for some spouses, again, this wasn't the kind of love that St. Valentine died and stood for.

 

Marriage and love is so sacred, and should be treated as such. It demands a kind of love that continually considers the next person, not a selfish one like Emperor Claudius had. It demands valuing and growing the love with intentionality.

 

Beyond this angle, is the unconditional love we all have to strive to give. Like St. Valentine, we are encouraged to pick the virtue of Love at all times as against the vices and pressures of this world. It demands dying to self. (John 15:13), you don't have to literally die like St. Valentine, but the inherent selfish or greedy nature in all of us has to die for us to express true love to the people around us.

 

This means that for every day that we live, our actions, inactions and thoughts should be embedded in love. Genuine Love for yourself, family, neighbours, friends, colleagues, employees, employers, strangers, your Church, virtues, and even for Love itself should be the aim always.

 

So as we exchange gifts, express our love with words, go on a short break, hangout, and celebrate, may they be embedded in pristine love.

 

In your prayers, remember struggling marriages in the world, that they may pick divine and true love. Pray for young adults that they may pick their spouses on the note of divine and true love, and not out of frivolity, fickleness and standard of the World.

 

Happy Valentine's Day Celebration, may our lives be filled with Joy and Love always.

 

~~~~~ With Love, from Big Tess💯💕💕💝💝