Why St. Valentine was given Sainthood

[Crossroads-USMC]

There are varied versions, and those who always denigrate Christian / Catholic persons... but here is the basic story; Valentine was a Priest, who refused to stop marrying people under Christ. He was arrested, and intead of renouncing Christ, he was tortured (beaten with a club, whipped, etc.) and then had his head cut off.

The point of this bloody Valentine's Day anecdote, is that you shouldn't forget about the power and goodness of love. So just look into it; check out the story. And just imagine for a second that you were part of one of the couples that he married. Imagine St. Valentine was the preist of your wedding, and did it knowing full well he could be put to death for it. Wild.

Just an idea. It really is a day to celebrate love - Love for your partner, love for God, love for your fellow Christians, love for Christ, love for the concept of 'Love' itself. Don't mean to prosthelytize, I just wanted to show its NOT just a commercial holiday made up by Greeting Card, Diamond, and Chocolate Companies. We have all year to be cynical, on the 14th we can be sappy and mushy. ;)

What do you think? (And I'm saying this as one who is alone for St. Valentine's Day - I'm single as a dollar bill)

[AllThatSweetJazz]

If you're going to promote a commercial holiday, of course you make it based on something real. Take any historical event, sum up the aesthetics of the story and sell it back to people as a romanticized idea. Love, remembrance, freedom, etc. That said, I do like the idea of having lots of holidays. Making us think and feel things that get us to appreciate certain aspects of life just because it's a certain day of the year is a very cool and powerful thing for a culture to have. But we really do need to focus more the celebration and appreciation of the ideas, not the things we can buy.

[cupcakesex]

Nicely put and so am I.

[Dandeus]

The common thread among the varied legends is that he was martyred for trying to convert the emperor Claudius. The marriage thing is completely incidental.

[jacquesvol]

" Imagine St. Valentine was the preist of your wedding, and did it knowing full well he could be put to death for it. Wild."

Not really. A public officer married us and we're very happy with that.

[spoilt]

I didn't know the lore was so gruesome. Oh, what we do for love. Thank you St. Valentine! :)

[Anonymous]

The majority of people on social sites are Christian haters. I have been appalled that people only see the Inquisition and pedophiles and judge Christianity. What a shame!