There are several legends for how we in modern America have come from the Catholic Church celebrating 11 St. Valentine's Days to 1 holiday of candy and cards. The explanations involve the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer, pagan fertility festivals, and a priest who secretly married soldiers who were prohibited from marrying. Whatever version you subscribe to, two things remain: today we don't even acknowledge these roots of our holiday and today we often forget that love is martyrdom. These 11 heroes of the faith named Valentine were persecuted and martyred for their faith.
Jesus said that the greatest love is when someone gives up their own life for the sake of a friend. Jesus lived this ethic to a perfect and complete degree in his time on earth. And he continues to live this ethic in taking up residence with the poor. Jesus is among the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the prisoner. The King of the Universe daily lays down his glorious life and takes up the grimy life of the poor. This is love. This is martyrdom. And what happens when one shares in suffering? One also shares in resurrection life.
For those of you who live this greatest love by sharing in the sufferings of the poor through praying, fasting, giving, going, and inviting others to the life of compassion... For those of you who live this greatest love by giving yourselves to the down and out... For those of you who live this love by serving and celebrating your spouses, your children, your parents, your siblings... you know that it is a mystery, and often a painful mystery, but you know that you also enjoy resurrection life!
So today as we eat too much candy and give and receive Valentine's Day cards, let's not forget that our Savior laid down his life. Let's follow this example of a martyr's love.
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