Last week’s message focused on love as defined in God’s terms.  Since Valentine’s Day is Saturday, today’s message will focus on the one after whom this day is named.

February 14, Valentine’s Day, prompts the purchase of cards and chocolates, roses, and perhaps dinner with red wine for our sweetie-pie!  But if that’s all it is, then we miss what the Day is all about, namely the holy estate of matrimony.

On February 14, around the year 278 A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Claudius II, was beheaded.

Under the rule of “Claudius the Cruel,” Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns.  The emperor had to maintain a strong army but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military.  He believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.  To resolve the issue, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome.  Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.

When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.  Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off.  The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.

What Valentine’s Day is really all about is honoring, upholding, celebrating and defending the holy estate of matrimony.

Though we do not live in a day and age like that of third century Rome, marriage nonetheless is under severe attack.  In his first letter to Timothy, Saint Paul wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…who forbid marriage” (4:1-3).  More and more these days, people are refusing to get married; many of whom opt instead for co-habitation and countless others for regular “hook-ups,” aka “friends with benefits,” or men marrying men, and women marryng women.  Or, like singer Jenny Lewis, who in celebrating her 50^th birthday last month, married her cockapoo dog!

All these instances and more are modern-day examples of forbidden marriage spoken of by the apostle Paul and acted upon by Claudius.

Fools we are!  What blessing we rob ourselves of, as well as the Church and State, by forbidding marriage.

This Valentine’s Day let’s remember and be inspired by the one who lost his head (like John the Baptist before him) encouraging and upholding, honoring and celebrating, and even when necessary defending God’s great gift to Church and State, the holy estate of matrimony.