musings
Valentine's Day! No one knows for certain where or how it originated, but we do know who is responsible for keeping it before the public eye---the greeting card, floral, and candy industries!
The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. Women purchase approximately 85% of all valentines.
St. Valentine is the designation for several saints. The most prominent are two martyrs whose feats are celebrated on this date. One was a priest and the other a bishop. We don't know much about them, but we do know that they died on the same day.
According to church tradition, St. Valentine (the priest)was arrested in the year 270 A.D. for his faith by the then pagan Roman Emperor. During the trial they asked Valentine what he thought of the Roman gods Jupiter and Mercury. Valentine said they were false gods and that the God that Jesus called Father was the only true God. So the Romans threw him in prison for insulting the gods.
While in prison Valentine continued to minister. He witnessed to the guards. One of the guards was a good man who had adopted a blind girl. He asked Valentine if his God could help his daughter. Valentine prayed and the girl was given her sight. The guard and his whole family, 46 people, believed in Jesus and were baptized. Because these people had come to know Jesus, Valentine praised God right there in his prison cell. When the Emperor heard about this he was furious, so he had Valentine beheaded.
John 15:13: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."
The custom of sending "valentines" or "love tokens" usually anonymous, probably had only an accidental connection with St. Valentine. It really owes its origin to a belief held in Medieval Europe. It was believed that at the start of the second fortnight of the second month that the birds began to mate. The poets picked up on this, blending mating with love and hence, valentines!
In a sense, every time we meet for worship we celebrate love---God's love for us. He sent us a Valentine---His Word. And every time we share His love with others, we are sending them a "Love token."
Valentine's Day! No one knows for certain where or how it originated, but we do know who is responsible for keeping it before the public eye---the greeting card, floral, and candy industries!
The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. Women purchase approximately 85% of all valentines.
St. Valentine is the designation for several saints. The most prominent are two martyrs whose feats are celebrated on this date. One was a priest and the other a bishop. We don't know much about them, but we do know that they died on the same day.
According to church tradition, St. Valentine (the priest)was arrested in the year 270 A.D. for his faith by the then pagan Roman Emperor. During the trial they asked Valentine what he thought of the Roman gods Jupiter and Mercury. Valentine said they were false gods and that the God that Jesus called Father was the only true God. So the Romans threw him in prison for insulting the gods.
While in prison Valentine continued to minister. He witnessed to the guards. One of the guards was a good man who had adopted a blind girl. He asked Valentine if his God could help his daughter. Valentine prayed and the girl was given her sight. The guard and his whole family, 46 people, believed in Jesus and were baptized. Because these people had come to know Jesus, Valentine praised God right there in his prison cell. When the Emperor heard about this he was furious, so he had Valentine beheaded.
John 15:13: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."
The custom of sending "valentines" or "love tokens" usually anonymous, probably had only an accidental connection with St. Valentine. It really owes its origin to a belief held in Medieval Europe. It was believed that at the start of the second fortnight of the second month that the birds began to mate. The poets picked up on this, blending mating with love and hence, valentines!
In a sense, every time we meet for worship we celebrate love---God's love for us. He sent us a Valentine---His Word. And every time we share His love with others, we are sending them a "Love token."
posted by kazookid | 8:51 AM
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