Saint Valentine
Beyond the Chocolate and the Lace
Every February, the world turns its attention to red hearts, chocolates, and expressions of romance. It is a day widely celebrated for the joy of falling in love.
Yet, beneath the modern festivities lies a deeply rooted Catholic reality. This day marks the heavenly birthday of a martyr from the third century. While the romantic traditions are beloved by many, the true story of Saint Valentine points us toward something even more profound than attraction. It introduces us to Agape: a sacrificial love that is willing to give everything for God and the Truth.
A Legacy of Love
Legends of Courage and Compassion
The Guardian of Marriage
According to popular legend, Emperor Claudius II believed that single men made better soldiers because they were not distracted by wives and children. To build a stronger army, he allegedly banned young men from marrying.
Valentine was a priest who understood that marriage was a sacred vocation, not just a civil contract. He defied the Emperor's order and continued to perform weddings in secret, often by candlelight. He risked his life to ensure that couples could receive the grace of the sacrament. Eventually, he was arrested for choosing the laws of God over the laws of the state.
The Signature of Mercy
While in prison for his defiance, Valentine reportedly befriended his jailer, Asterius. According to the legend, Asterius brought his blind daughter to the priest's cell to test his faith. Valentine prayed for her, and her sight was miraculously restored. This profound act of compassion led the entire family to convert to Christianity, and during his remaining days in captivity, Valentine and the young woman fell deeply in love.
On the eve of his execution, Valentine wrote a final message to the girl. It was a message of deep affection and a final farewell. He signed it with a phrase that has echoed through the centuries:
"From your Valentine."
These stories may have evolved over time, but they remain powerful because they speak to a deep Catholic truth: faith and love are inseparable, and the sacrament of marriage is worth fighting for.
The Ancient Passio
The Original Story of the Miracle
Before the romantic twists of later centuries, the oldest written account of Saint Valentine, a document called the Passio Sancti Valentini, told a very different story about this healing.
In this ancient text from the fifth or sixth century, the encounter between Valentine and Asterius was a dramatic test of faith. Asterius challenged Valentine's preaching that Jesus is the "true light," demanding that the priest prove it by restoring his blind daughter's sight. Valentine laid his hands over her eyes and prayed for Christ to bring her into the light.
When her vision was restored, the result was not a tragic romance. Instead, Asterius was so overwhelmed by the power of God that he destroyed his pagan idols, fasted for three days, and had his entire household of forty-four people baptized.
It was this massive, public conversion that ultimately led to Valentine's martyrdom. The original story was not about young lovers, but about a fearless priest whose miraculous act of charity brought a family out of spiritual darkness.
How the Legend Grew
Bridging the Gap Between Martyr and Modernity
It is fascinating to see how the original story of a Roman execution and a mass baptism evolved into the romantic festival we celebrate today. By the time the Victorian era arrived, "Valentine's Day" was already a well established social custom in the English speaking world. However, people began to feel that the gritty accounts of early martyrdom lacked the backstory needed for a day dedicated to romance.
To fill this void, new layers were added to the saint's biography. The narratives reimagined Valentine as a romantic hero who was thrown into the Roman dungeons specifically for his defiance of the marriage ban. By linking his imprisonment directly to the protection of young lovers, and expanding the account of him falling in love with his jailer's daughter, the Victorian era created a narrative bridge between the ancient martyr and the modern greeting card.
These additions were designed to provide a historical "reason" for our modern practices: the exchange of cards, the specific focus on romantic couples, and the signature "From your Valentine." While the original, ancient records focus on his bravery and his role as a teacher of the faith, these later legends were crafted to help us see the saint as a patron of our own personal heartaches and joys.
The Story Behind the Legend
Peeling Back the Layers of History
The Three Valentines
When we look at the earliest records of the Church, we find that Saint Valentine is actually a cluster of memories. The Roman Martyrology identifies three potential candidates who suffered on February 14th: a priest in Rome, a bishop in Terni, and a martyr in Africa.
The scholarly Bollandists suggest that the Roman priest and the Bishop of Terni might be the same person. Oral tradition likely split one hero's journey into two different locations over centuries.
Fact-Checking the Tradition
The Marriage Ban
History shows that Emperor Claudius likely never issued a blanket ban on marriage. While soldiers were restricted from marrying during service, the secret marriage story likely emerged in the 18th century to align the saint with romantic customs.
The Love Letter
In the oldest texts, the relationship between Valentine and the jailer's daughter was catechetical. He healed her to prove the power of Christ to her father, leading to the family's conversion. He was a spiritual father to her, not a romantic interest.
The Poet's Voice
We can trace the romantic connection to Geoffrey Chaucer. His 1382 poem, The Parliament of Fowls, linked the saint's day to the mating of birds, a poetic idea that later generations adopted as historical fact.
The Pagan Myth
Many claim Valentine's Day replaced the Roman festival of Lupercalia. However, Pope Gelasius abolished Lupercalia in 496 AD with no connection to the saint. The romantic elements appeared 900 years later with Chaucer, not ancient Rome.
The Historical Core
What We Actually Know
When we strip away the Victorian lace and the medieval poetry, what remains of the man himself? The truth is that the historical record is remarkably quiet. The earliest martyrologies provide us with only the barest of bones: a name (Valentinus), a date of death (February 14th), and a location of burial (the Via Flaminia in Rome).
Beyond these fragments, we simply do not know much for certain. The specific details of his trial, the names of those he converted, and the exact circumstances of his death are lost to the mists of antiquity. We are left with a mystery: a saint whose name is known by millions, but whose earthly life remains hidden in the heart of God.
Is He Still a Saint?
A common confusion exists regarding the 1969 reform of the General Roman Calendar. It is often said that Valentine was decanonized, yet this is not accurate. He was simply removed from the universal calendar to make room for saints with more documented biographical histories.
The Church prioritizes the Paschal Mystery and clearly recorded witness over uncertain legends in her public liturgy. However, Valentine remains an officially recognized saint in the Roman Martyrology. His feast is observed with great joy locally in places like Terni, Dublin, and Malta, and we are always encouraged to ask for his powerful intercession.
Spiritual Wisdom
Redefining Love
The world looks at February 14th and sees romance. The martyr looks at this day and sees a chance to witness to the Truth. As Catholics, we distinguish between two forms of love. Eros is the initial spark of attraction, associated with romantic love or passionate desire. However, without the stabilizing force of Agape, Eros can become selfish or fleeting.
Agape is the self-sacrificial love of God. It includes fidelity, patience, and the choice to seek the other’s good. It can include romance, but it does not depend on emotion for its stability.
Valentine is a witness (martys) not to a fleeting feeling, but to a choice. If we connect the legend of the secret marriages to our own lives, we find a beautiful parallel. Just as Valentine gave his life for his vows to God, married couples are called to a "white martyrdom." This is the daily decision to die to one's own selfishness for the ultimate good of a spouse.
"Love is something that is constructed like a house. And you do not want to build it on the sand of feelings, which come and go, but on the rock of true love, the love that comes from God."
— Pope Francis, 2014 Address to Engaged Couples
Visit the Relics
Dublin, Ireland
Whitefriar Street Church holds the heart of the saint, gifted by Pope Gregory XVI. It is home to the annual Blessing of Rings.
Terni, Italy
The Basilica houses the Bishop's body and hosts the Feast of the Promise for engaged couples.
Rome, Italy
The skull crowned with flowers remains in Santa Maria in Cosmedin, a place of constant pilgrimage.
Unusual Patronage
Valentine is also the patron of epileptics, likely because his name sounds like the German word for "fallen." Furthermore, he is the patron of beekeepers, charged with the "sweetness of honey" and the protection of the hives.
A Prayer for the Day
"St. Valentine, martyr and witness, pray for us. Ask Christ to heal our blindness. Teach our hearts fidelity, patience, and courage. Lead our relationships toward charity and holiness. Amen."
The Valentine Vocation
While the history behind the feast is complex, the spiritual lesson is simple. Saint Valentine reminds us that love is not just a feeling, but a decision to witness to the Truth.
Whether single or married, we are all called to the same "valentine vocation." As the Gospel tells us:
"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13)
This February, let the courage of the man of Terni inspire you to love not just with sentiment, but with a heart that is sacrificial and enduring.