Love is the only answer

Like many  of  our yearly special events and occasions, St.Valentine’s  Day will be celebrated this  year in  lockdown because of the restrictions  in place to alleviate the causes of the Coronavirus.

Also in the past few years St. Valentine's Day like many other special days has become commercialised. The focus on love and romance for couples can leave many people feeling left out and even lost.

According to history, St.  Valentine’s  Day  which we celebrate on the 14th February was not associated with romantic love until the Middle Ages. If you are waiting for this day to come around so that you can show your love,  you are missing a part  of  life  that should be valued for more than once yearly.  So if you haven't already, instead  of  the emphasis on expensive displays  of  affection, why not take a more spiritual approach to St.  Valentine’s  Day  and try and keep real love all the year around  for real love really does set you free? 

The expression  of  love to another should not be reserved for a single day or for a special event or occasion. The celebration  of real  love is more about how you live each day with the one you love and care for.  This St.  Valentine’s  Day  you may well have probably either sent or received a  valentine  from someone. But just like many  of  our special celebratory  days, you don't have to be held hostage to commercial interests.

A true celebration  of  love can be so much more than an obligatory sharing  of  chocolate, prosecco or if you're in the money maybe champagne, or candlelight dinners, and this celebration  of  love doesn't require anything more than the depths and richness  of  your own sweet beautiful heart and soul. There’s a lot more behind it than just cards and gifts.There’s a true-life story. It’s a story that teaches us a lot about love, sacrifice, care, strength  and commitment, the true meaning  of  St.  Valentine’s  Day  and a meaning that we should aspire to keep all year around! Historians hopefully will be happy with me following these historic facts!!!

The Real  Valentine

In the third century, the Roman Empire was ruled by Emperor Claudius II Gothicus. He was nicknamed Claudius the Cruel because  of  his harsh leadership and his tendency for getting into wars and abusing his people. In fact, he was getting into so many wars during the third century that he was having a difficult time recruiting enough soldiers. Claudius believed that recruitment for the army was down because Roman men did not want to leave their loved one's or families behind, so he canceled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Thousands  of  couples saw their hopes  of  matrimony dashed by the single act  of  a tyrant. And no one seemed interested in standing up to the emperor.

But a simple Christian priest named  Valentine  did come forward and stood up for love. He began to secretly marry soldiers before they went off to war, despite the emperor’s orders. In 269 A.D., Emperor Claudius found out about the secret ceremonies. He had  Valentine  thrown into prison and deemed that he would be put to death. As  Valentine  was awaiting execution, he healed a blind girl who happened to be the jailer’s daughter. On the eve  of  his execution, with no writing instruments available,  Valentine  is said to have written her a sonnet in ink that he squeezed from violets.  He supposedly finished the farewell note signed “from your  Valentine.”  Legend has it that his words made the blind woman see again.

The next  day  Valentine  was clubbed to death by Roman executioners.  St.  Valentine  gave his life so that young couples could be bonded together in holy matrimony. They may have killed the man, but not his spirit. Even centuries after his death, the story  of  Valentine’s self-sacrificing commitment to love was legendary in Rome and spread worldwide. Eventually, he was granted sainthood and the Catholic Church decided to create a feast in his honor. They picked February 14th as the  day  of  celebration because  of  the ancient belief that birds (particularly lovebirds, but also owls and doves) began to mate on that very  day.

Thought  for the  week 

As your  thought  for the  week, seek out opportunities to think about those people who are often forgotten on these special  days. Those who are elderly, alone, abandoned, orphaned, ill, homeless or living on the edges  of  our society need our love too. Remember them in your giving, prayers, intentions and meditations. If you have the chance to volunteer your time, money or resources to help those in need or good charities that help so many worthy causes please make the effort to do so and do so all the year around. Express if you can more than anything for our country and world the love  of  real selfless charity!  So, remember your relationships will have more meaning if you celebrate  Valentine's  Day each and every day  of  the year by showing your love every day!

Here is a prayer I love to say now and then when love is the only answer needed -  THE LOVE PRAYER -  Today I remove all boundaries and walls,  Once used as a means  of  defence,  I forgive those things from the darkened past,  That in love’s divine realm make no spiritual sense.  Releasing all worries, all burdens and doubt,  I bring light to the shadows  of  fear.  By centering myself with a loving  thought,  Harsh judgments I no longer hear.  The greatest experience that life has to give,  Is love from an open heart,  For it moves me to appreciate all there is,  And I’m one with it all, not apart.  It’s love that brings me closer to God,  And leads me according to God’s way,  Love’s light warms my spirit, it nurtures my soul,  And assures me everything is okay.  I am one with God and never apart,  As I live this day with an open loving heart. Amen