BVM on Sat / Comm of St Valentine, 4th Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “The Good Fruits”, today’s news from the Church: “Treasures At Your Fingertips”, a preview of this week’s episode of Sacred Restorations: “Restoring St. Isidore's”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.

• “The Good Fruits” – From Epiphany to Lent
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Saint Valentine is one of the most widely recognized yet historically elusive saints in the calendar, a martyr whose memory survived even when the details of his life grew indistinct. What the Church preserves with certainty is that Valentine lived in the third century and died for Christ during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Beyond that, tradition speaks of at least two Valentines associated with Rome and Terni, both priests or bishops who suffered martyrdom around the same period. Over time, their stories merged, but the heart of their witness remains the same: fidelity to Christ above imperial command.

According to ancient accounts, Valentine was a priest in Rome who ministered to Christians during persecution. When Claudius II reportedly attempted to restrict marriages among soldiers, believing unmarried men made better fighters, Valentine continued to assist couples in Christian marriage. Whether this specific detail is historically precise or later tradition, it captures the deeper truth associated with his name. Valentine defended the dignity of Christian love at personal cost. He was arrested, interrogated, and eventually executed for refusing to renounce his faith.

Another tradition describes Valentine as a bishop who healed the blind daughter of his jailer, leading to the conversion of the household. On the eve of his execution, he is said to have left her a note signed “from your Valentine,” a detail that later generations transformed into a symbol of affectionate devotion. While the historical record remains sparse, the Church never venerated Valentine for romance alone. She honored him as a martyr who testified that love grounded in Christ cannot be separated from sacrifice.

In the early centuries, Valentine’s tomb on the Via Flaminia in Rome became a place of pilgrimage. His relics were later distributed across Europe, spreading devotion widely. By the Middle Ages, February 14 became associated not only with martyrdom, but with the renewal of spring. Popular custom connected the feast with courtship and betrothal, especially in England and France, where the day was believed to mark the pairing of birds. Christian symbolism and seasonal imagery blended, gradually shaping the modern cultural celebration of Valentine’s Day.

Despite the commercial overlay that now surrounds the date, the feast retains its deeper meaning. Saint Valentine stands as a witness that authentic love is inseparable from faithfulness. Marriage, friendship, and even romantic affection find their truest expression when rooted in self giving charity. His martyrdom reminds the Church that love is not sentiment alone, but covenant lived even under pressure.

Saint Valentine invites us to remember that the highest form of love is the one that remains steadfast in truth. His feast calls believers to examine whether their love is shaped by Christ’s sacrifice or by convenience.

Saint Valentine, faithful martyr and witness to enduring love, pray for us.

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