Being Present for Others

The month of February is associated with a lot of things: Pediatric Oral Health Month, Black History Month, snow, the Super Bowl, but one of the most associated events with February is Valentine’s Day!

​Valentine’s Day is a holiday for love. It’s all things pink and red, hearts and chocolate, cards, gifts, and dinners. Some people really go all over-the-top for Valentine’s Day. It’s the second-biggest card-

Tracee Dahm

giving occasion in our culture, right behind Christmas. When I was​ younger, that was me. I would spend a lot of time pining over what to get my Valentine or what they would get me in return. Now, as I’m older, I tend not to make a fuss. I’m quite shocked at how much is exchanged between children for class Valentine’s Day parties. Maybe time has dulled my sense of excitement, but I try to tell my friends and family constantly how much they mean to me; I do not just express it one day of the year. In fact, I look forward to more than Valentine’s Day: the day after, when all the chocolate is discounted!

Yes, Valentine’s Day is special for some. However, do you know that the Valentine’s Day story relates to Christianity, and it isn’t as romantic as one might think?

Valentine’s Day was created to celebrate a Christian martyr who was executed some hundreds of years earlier! Historians are not even sure if they have the correct fellow in mind! The right “who” is debated between two gentlemen: Saint Valentine is either Valentine of Rome or Valentine of Terni. Since it was so long ago and his sainthood wasn’t anointed until centuries after death.
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In the third century, Emperor Claudius II forbade young men from marrying. I’m not sure I follow his train of thought, but perhaps he thought the men would not be distracted by their love life, and thus the emperor would build a strong army of young bachelors.

Believing in the good work of Jesus, Valentine constantly preached about love, salvation, and the sanctity of marriage as a gift from God to His creation. Valentine would write letters and messages to his friends, reminding them of the Good Word. Valentine viewed the ban on weddings as unfair and conducted secret weddings, defying the law. There is no record of how many couples he performed secret ceremonies for, but historians believe he lived out his faith and ministered for several years in secret. Of course, Emperor Claudius II was furious when he heard this and ordered that Valentine be put to death. Right before his death, it is rumored that he gave a card to one of the jailor's daughters who was suffering from blindness; ultimately, healing her. Valentine was beheaded on February 14th around 270 A.D. (Historians do not agree 100% about the year).

Valentine was almost forgotten, but it was not until the 8th century that a poet reminded the world of the power of love and ministry. The Catholic church anointed Valentine as a Saint for his powerful work in ministry.

While the story of Saint Valentine dates back centuries, it remains relevant today. We can all be great like a Saint by sharing a simple message of love. This story reminds us that love does not always have to be about grand gestures. God wants us to go out, even when times are tough, even when we don’t realize the impact we are making, stand firm in our faith and be proud to bring the message of Jesus to others. God needs nothing more than us to make a difference; we are all enough. We can do amazing things by being PRESENT for others.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

In His Name, Tracee