St. Valentine’s Day has turned into a Hallmark explosion of chocolates, flowers, and cringey teddy bears. But the man behind it was a total legend. Forget Cupid: St. Valentine was a priest who literally risked everything to defend sacramental marriage.

Who Was St. Valentine?

St. Valentine was a hardcore Catholic rebel. In the 3rd century, Emperor Claudius II was out here banning marriage because he thought single soldiers made better warriors. St. Valentine wasn’t having it. He kept marrying couples in secret because he knew that marriage is sacred and gives grace for the toughest battles, both on the battlefield and in life.

He got caught, and for the “crime” of performing weddings, he was sentenced to a brutal three-part execution: beating, stoning, and finally, decapitation.

Before his epic martyrdom, he performed a miracle: he healed a blind girl. (Legend has it, she was the daughter of the very judge who sentenced him.) He also wrote letters to her, signing them “Your Valentine.” Yup, that’s where our Valentine’s Day tradition comes from: not from overpriced roses, but from a saint who gave his life for love.

Suffering: What’s the Point?

St. Valentine’s story is about sacrificial love. The kind of love that’s willing to suffer.

Suffering isn’t meaningless. It’s a mystery, but it’s also how we grow. Pope St. John Paul II wrote about how suffering is part of our human nature: it forces us to go beyond ourselves and find our transcendence in God.

We all have choices when it comes to suffering:

We can run from it. (Netflix binge and avoidance tactics.)

We can become bitter victims. (“Why me, God?!”)

Or we can surrender it to Christ and let it transform us.

Venerable Fulton Sheen nailed it when he said many people are “half-crucified souls.” They carry their cross part of the way but give up before the finish line. But real Christians endure till the end. Just like St. Valentine. Just like Jesus.

Takeaways from St. Valentine’s Story

Marriage matters. If you’re married outside the Church, maybe it’s time to bring your marriage into the fullness of Christ’s grace.

Love = Sacrifice. True love isn’t just butterflies and heart eyes; it’s choosing to love even when it’s hard.

Suffering can be redemptive. When you’re struggling, don’t just “get through it”: offer it up and let God use it for something greater.

So, this Valentine’s Day, sure, enjoy the chocolates. But also remember the warrior priest who died for real love. #BeLikeStValentine

 

 

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