Tomorrow, the world will convince you that love is all about chocolate, flowers, and sappy cards celebrating a guy who… got beheaded. Yep. St. Valentine didn’t exactly go down in history for his romantic poetry or his Pinterest-worthy proposals. He went down because he stood up for what he believed, even when it cost him everything.
Off with his head!
Here’s the quick version: Valentine lived in a time when the Roman Empire was all about control. Emperor Claudius II didn’t want soldiers distracted by love, so he banned marriages for young men. Valentine, being the kind of guy who didn’t take kindly to stupid laws, kept marrying couples in secret. He got caught. He got thrown in jail. And yes, he got executed. No chocolates, no roses, no Hallmark moment. Just courage. And one less head in the world.
So, here’s the takeaway for the rest of us: Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about flowers, expensive dinners, or forced romance. It can be about giving of ourselves boldly, courageously, and selflessly. About showing love in ways that matter, even when it’s inconvenient, risky, or doesn’t come with a shiny bow.
If you want to honor St. Valentine tomorrow, skip the clichés. Stand up for someone. Encourage a friend. Sacrifice a little comfort to make life better for someone else. That’s love worth celebrating.
And honestly? My wife deserves the real Valentine’s Day award for putting up with me. She’s the one I get to show love to every day. Not a lot of chocolates, very few dead flowers. Just several references to dead saints and tons of patience required.
Because real love isn’t a holiday. It’s courage in action.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all those faithful couples in Christ