However you are spending this Valentine’s Day, you may have the vague wondering: how did a tradition of focusing on romantic love come from St. Valentine? And then you might have another question as well: who exactly was St. Valentine?
On February 14, the Church commemorates a Christian named Valentine who was martyred some time before 312 CE, but there were several Valentines in that category. One was a priest in Rome, another a bishop in what is now Terni in central Italy (who is possibly the same person as the Roman priest), and a third is unknown except that he was martyred in Africa. Whether February 14 was meant to honor all the Valentines or just on of them is not clear.
How about the association with romantic love? It seems that medieval Europe folk wisdom said that birds began to pair off in mid-February. Over time, that “romantic” pairing got associated with February 14 and St. Valentine’s Day. A bit of a tenuous connection, if you ask me!
So allow me to offer a different way of marking the feast day — a meditation that expands beyond romantic love to God’s all-encompassing love:
On this Valentine’s Day, open the eyes of your heart to see the evidence of God’s love all around. Let your attention focus on a particular passage of a sacred text, a person, a sensation, or an experience during your day.
As your awareness sharpens, allow the clutter of surface meaning, labels, and reflexive reaction to recede into the background. Wait in silence, simply witnessing without critique. Gradually take all of it in. If it’s a written passage, savor the words slowly and aloud, re-reading it a few times (lectio divina). If a person or creature, observe all the visible qualities and be sensitive to the undercurrent of energy present as well. If a feeling or emotion, notice how this shows up in your body. Welcome what is.
After several minutes, ask your inner witness where it sees Love in this moment. Let your heart’s eyes open even wider to see that both you and this small piece of reality are part of the Divine Reality of Love. Rest in this knowing. . . . Say thanks.
Thanks!
(Meditation from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/bible-text-travail-weekly-summary-2015-02-14/)
