Feast of Saint Valentine of Rome

IMPORTANT FACTS:

During the 3rd century,Roman Emperor Claudius II reigned over the empire for 2 years and was known 

for being very strict in building up the military power.He made sure that none of his soldiers should be married because he wanted them to focus on work rather than be obligated to their wives.He made a

rule that none should be married and banned marriage.He persecuted the Catholic Church and was against the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

He did not have a proper understanding of love and his love was made out of lust.He started to teach 

many the wrong meaning about love.Soon many people were living in sin and was indulging in lustful behaviours which alerted Valentine who served as a priest during that time.

Father Valentine's preachings touched the hearts of many.People's life started to change and they started

to live in holiness and was aware of Emperor Claudius II evil rule.After Father Valentine was caught and imprisoned,miracles continued to flow from him.

Father Valentine took pity on Asterius daughter who was blind and decided to show her God's mercy

through his words and compassion. Asterius daughter was so impressed that she wanted Father Valentine

to intercede for her to be cured from being blindness.Her pure love of friendship grew stronger with Father Valentine and her visits became daily and Father Valentine taught her to pray.Each day,Asterius and his daughter came to Father Valentine's prison cell and prayed with him without the knowing of Claudius II.

One day,God answered their prayer because God saw how much they believed in His persecuted servant,

Father Valentine. Asterius daughter could see and she was thankful to God and this astonishing miracle

led her and Asterius to be converted to the Catholic Faith.

Then came a day,Emperor Claudius II came to know that many people were secretly entering into the 

prison where Father Valentine was locked up and they were found praying with Father Valentine.

Claudius II hated this outcome and made a decision to end the life of Father Valentine as quickly as 

possible.

Before dying,Father Valentine was not able to see his young friend,Asterius daughter,so he wrote her a 

letter and promised her that they shall meet in Heaven the Country of Pure Love where Love REIGNS because God is Love.At the end of his letter,he sign off by saying : From your Valentine. 

Before his soul left the body,he prayed that people will understand the true meaning of God's love and be blessed with an understanding of God's love that is unshakeable. 

In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his Martyrdom.

THE SKULL OF VALENTINE

The flower-adorned skull of St. Valentine is on display in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome.

 In the early 1800s, the excavation of a catacomb near Rome yielded skeletal remains and other 

relics now associated with St. Valentine.

                           

                                 The Story of Saint Valentine.A short film.

  

                                           
                                         
                   
                       

~ LOVE is the pathway of the CROSS

 that leads to the Country of Pure Love ~

                                       Statue of Saint Valentine of Rome.

This is the man who suffered so much for pure love but has been forgotten throughout generations
on 14 February the day he died for God's pure love.Many have made Valentine's day a sinful day 
and have banned this day because of all the sins done on this day due to the 
temptations of LUST.People have understood the meaning of Saint Valentine's day in a
wrong and sinful way..
Let us not be like that and take a moment to respect this day and remember how much torture
Saint Valentine went through for us so that we may able to love and know that marriage is built
on pure love and not on the lust of humankind.May we know that this day was not made for 
married couples but also for families and for everyone that you love,especially for God 
because the Almighty one is the ETERNAL LOVE and we should remember this verse
from the Bible, 1 John 4:10,

This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and

 sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

PRAYER TO SAINT VALENTINE OF ROME:
O Glorious Martyr of Love,Saint Valentine intercede for us poor sinners to know the true value of God's love.Teach our souls how patient,kind,and truthful love can be,so that we may bring it to this needful world which is lacking love.O Humble Saint,you prayed daily and taught many people about God's unfailing love;your teachings brought the love of God into the lives of married couples and encouraged their lives to be centred in God's pure love.You trusted in love and knew that love can crush the head of evil and triumph over the Devil and you proved it during the time of your martyrdom.Obtain for us the grace to grow deep in love for God each day until we arrive safely to join you and witness the love of God with all the Saints in Heaven for all eternity.Amen.

O Loveable Saint Valentine,Armor of the Love of Christ, pray for us!