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| My friend Daniela's dog Mona. She wants to be your Valentine! :) |
Will you be
my Valentine?
I have never been a fan of Valentine's Day. I have always written it
off as a meaningless “Hallmark” holiday full of candy and
flowers. It simply doesn't make sense to me, if you truly want to express your love for someone, why do you need to wait for this particular day to do it? Suddenly on this day, every couple seems so "in love" and for a day, everything is perfect. But in my eyes, it seems so temporary.
This year however, was different from other years. I learned
through my friends that Valentine's Day can be a day for more than
just couples, but a day in which friends and family can share in
their love for one another. And, sure enough, that is not too far
from what the Feast of St. Valentine is really all about.
This past Tuesday, I received an email from my school's OCF which included a homily explaining the true meaning of Valentine's Day. St. Valentine was a priest in ancient
Rome who rebelled against the laws of the Roman Empire by providing sacraments, such as marriage, to Christians. He was
imprisoned for his actions and eventually beheaded.
I am completely blown away that a man
could have such fearlessness and faith in God that even death could
not stop him from proclaiming the truth. He had a love for God and a love for humanity that allowed him to live his life the way he did.
"For the world, love can mean a lot
of different things. It can refer to the deep communion experienced
by a couple who have been married 50 years. Or "love" may
simply refer to sex. More often than not it refers to romantic love,
the feeling between a man and a woman. Too often it is nothing more
than an over glorified puppy love. … When the world says,
"I am in Love," they mean your knees are weak
and your throat is dry and you are attracted to someone. … This
"love" is often devoid of commitment
and depth. … "Love" by the world's definition can be as
flimsy and insubstantial as a cheap Valentine's Card.
But the Church's definition of love
is quite different. For the Christian the ultimate example of that
love is Jesus Christ. He is the living example of God's love. He came
to this world so that the lost and lonely people of the world could
experience the Kingdom of God."
I feel so blessed to know that the love of our is God is greater than any human could ever give or
receive. Day by day I am reminded that this world is temporary and
that the loved ones we so desperately hold on to will someday depart from
us. And we can only pray, from the bottom of our hearts, that they will be able to live eternally in the kingdom of heaven.
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