Rachel's Reasoning

11:42, Friday, January 18, 2008

St. Valentine --- Cupid's Arrows or a Saint?

John 15:13-14

13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up in a short while, so I thought I would give you a brief explanation of who St. Valentine really was and how the whole celebration of Valentine's Day started.

Every year on the 14th of February, people celebrate Valentine's Day. They give each other heart candies, and Cupids are all over the store windows, and cards and flowers being passed around. But do you know who this man who the day was named after really was?

There were two Christian men by the name Valentine, and they lived in and around Rome in the third century. Sadly, like so many other Christians of that time, they were martyred for their faith. The day they were killed? February 14th, A.D. 269. See where we get the date from?

One of the Valentines was supposed to be beheaded in Rome, and the other wa is thought to have died in Interamna, a town that was about 60 miles from Rome. The Valentine of Rome was a priest. In 350, a church was built in his honour, and his bones were buried there.

I'm not very sure who the other Valentine was. Some scholars think there really was only Valentine, and that the church's records were mixed up in the place of where he died --- making it appear that there were two Valentines. But no one knows for sure.

You are still wondering what the tradition of pink hearts and Cupid have to Valentine's Day? Nothing, really. But February 15th happened to be the date of the Roman festival of love. On this feast day, (which was called Lupercalia), the Romans honoured Juno, the supposed goddess of women and marriage. They also honoured Pan --- believed to be the god of nature.

During the fesival of Lupercalia, young men and women would draw names out of a box for a partner. The couple would spend time together and exchange gifts. Some of the couples would marry as a result of the courtship. Somehow, Cupid was believed to be involved. According to Roman mythology, Cupid was the "god of love" and the son of Venus, the supposed "goddess of love." It was thought that a shot from one of Cupid's arrows made a person fall in love. To this day he (Cupid) is despicted as a chubby little boy with golden wings, usually holding a bow and arrow.

You can imagine how difficult it was for the Christians in Rome to deal with all the pagan holidays that surrounded them. Christians didn't believe in the fanciful gods of the Romans. They certainly didn't believe true love came from an arrow from Cupid's bow either! So in 495, Pope Gelasius decided to declare February 14th as Saint Valentine's Day to replace the pagan festival of Lupercalia on the 15th. It was a gesture to Christianize a pagan tradition. (Early Christians did the same with Halloween. I will post about it when it comes up.)

Was Pope Gelasius very successful in changing it from a pagan tradition to a Christian one? Did he change the Roman tradition? For a time, his plan probably worked. I imagine that for centuries Christians spent time on February 14th remembering the siants and praying for those who were persecuted. But almost 2,000 years later, one trip to the drug store in early February will tell you very differently of how we ended up in his plan. Instead of remembering the saints, we are bombarded with pink hearts, candies in the shape of hearts, and greeting cards with flowers. And you see Cupid everywhere!

It's not that it's bad to express love and friendship and give out gifts on February 14th. I kind of think it's what Christ would want us doing. It's just a shame that St. Valentine, as a martyr, isn't better remembered for what he and the hundreds of other saints endured. I believe it to be important to reflect on the hardships they endured and sacrifices they made. Maybe this Valentine's Day, besides sending sweets and notes to people, you'll remember what Jesus said about love: "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you." (John 15:13-14)

Rachel
Ps. This was taken out of the Mystery of History by Linda Lacour Hobar. I put it in my own words though. :)

I hope you have enjoyed reading the thoughts of a thirteen-year-old girl from the country."You can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens you!" Philippians 4:13

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