St. Valentine, officially known as St. Valentine of Rome, is a third-century Roman saint whose feast day on Feb. 14 is commonly associated with love and romance. Yet early Church history records that at least three St. Valentines existed in the second half of the third century – all of them martyrs, and all having the feast day Feb. 14.
One is described as a priest at Rome, another as bishop of Interamna (modern Terni, Italy), and a third who suffered in Africa with a number of companions.
Although not much of his life is reliably known, it is highly agreed that someone named Valentine was martyred and then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome in or around the year 269.
Legends attributed to the mysterious saint are as inconsistent as the actual identification of the man.
One common story about St. Valentine is that in one point of his life, as the former Bishop of Terni, Narnia and Amelia, he was put under house arrest by a man named Judge Asterius. While discussing religion and faith with the judge, Valentine pledged the validity of Jesus. The judge immediately put Valentine and his faith to the test.
St. Valentine was presented with the judge’s blind daughter and told to restore her sight. If he succeeded, the judge vowed to do anything for Valentine. Placing his hands onto her eyes, Valentine restored the child’s vision.
Judge Asterius was humbled and obeyed Valentine’s requests. Asterius broke all the idols around his house, fasted for three days and became baptized, along with his family and entire 44 member household. The now faithful judge then freed all of his Christian inmates.
St. Valentine was later arrested again for trying to convert people to Christianity. He was sent to Rome under the emperor Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II).
According to what is believed to be the first representation of St. Valentine, the “Nuremberg Chronicle,” St. Valentine was a Roman priest martyred during Claudius’ reign. It recounts that St. Valentine was imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Both acts were considered serious crimes.
A relationship between the saint and emperor began to grow, until Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. Claudius became enraged and sentenced Valentine to death, commanding him to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.
St. Valentine refused to renounce his faith and Christianity, and he was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on Feb. 14, 269. (However, other tales of St. Valentine’s life claim he was executed in the year 270, 273 or 280.)
Other depictions of St. Valentine's arrests tell that he secretly married couples so husbands wouldn’t have to go to war. Another variation of the legend of St. Valentine says he refused to sacrifice to pagan gods and was put in prison, and while imprisoned he healed the jailer’s blind daughter. On the day of his execution, he left the girl a note signed, “Your Valentine.”
Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole in his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate Porta Valetini or Gate of St. Valentine. It is now called the Porta del Popolo.
Popular customs associated with St. Valentine’s Day may have had their origin in the Middle Ages. It was believed that on Feb. 14 – halfway through the second month of the year – birds begin to pair in preparation for spring mating season. Thus in Chaucer's “Parliament of Foules” we read:
“For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day
Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.”
For this reason the day was looked upon as specially consecrated to lovers and as a proper occasion for writing love letters and sending lovers’ tokens.
Then again, according to English 18th-century antiquarians Alban Butler and Francis Douce, Valentine’s Day was most likely created to overpower the pagan holiday, Lupercalia.
Although the exact origin of today’s Valentine’s Day is not widely agreed upon, it is widely recognized as a day for love, devotion and romance.
And whoever he was, a St. Valentine did really exist, because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church near his burial site that was dedicated to his martyrdom.
Feb. 14 has been celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day since the year 496, when Pope Gelasius set aside the day in honor of his martyrdom.
St. Valentine is the patron saint of engaged couples, beekeepers, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers and young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses.
— CatholicOnline.com, Catholic Encyclopedia.
Pictured at top: The flower-crowned skull of St. Valentine can be found in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome.
St. Valentine: How a beheaded martyr became the poster child for romantic love
In most stores in the weeks leading up to St. Valentine’s Day, you’re likely to find a plethora of pink and red cards, heart-shaped boxes of Russell Stover chocolates, and decor with nearly-naked chubby cherubs shooting hearts with bows and arrows.
It’s a far cry from the real St. Valentine, an early Christian martyr who was bludgeoned and beheaded for his faith.
It’s also a far cry from an early Roman fertility ritual also celebrated on Feb. 14, where men ran through the streets slapping women with the flesh of recently-sacrificed animals.
So how did a saint with such a gruesome death come to be associated with a holiday all about love, chocolates, and chubby cherubs?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ash Wednesday is Feb. 18 this year. Here are some things to know about Ash Wednesday and the kickoff to Lent:
In the Table of Liturgical Days, which ranks the different liturgical celebrations and seasons, Ash Wednesday ties for second in ranking – along with Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension, Pentecost, Sundays of Advent, Lent and Easter, and a few others. But Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, though it is a day of prayer, abstinence, fasting and repentance.
Top ranked in the table are the Paschal Triduum – the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil – along with Easter Sunday. Good Friday isn’t a holy day of obligation either, but Catholics are encouraged to attend church for a liturgy commemorating Christ’s crucifixion and death.
Ash Wednesday begins the liturgical season of Lent. There are hymns that speak to the length of the season – one of them is “Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days” – but Lent spans more than 40 days. So what gives?
“It might be more accurate to say that there is the ‘40-day fast within Lent,’” said Father Randy Stice, associate director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Divine Worship.
“Historically, Lent has varied from a week to three weeks to the present configuration of 46 days,” Father Stice said. “The 40-day fast, however, has been more stable. The Sundays of Lent are certainly part of the time of Lent, but they are not prescribed days of fast and abstinence.” There are six Sundays in Lent, including Passion Sunday.
Ashes
The ashes used for Ash Wednesday are made from the burned and blessed palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday.
“The palms are burned in a metal vessel and then broken down into a powder. I believe ashes can also be purchased from Catholic supply companies,” Father Stice said.
“As far as I know, palms from the previous year are always dry enough,” he added. “Parishes normally ask parishioners to bring their palms shortly before Ash Wednesday, so there is no need to store them. People usually like to keep the blessed palm as long as possible.”
Almost half of adult Catholics, 45 percent, typically receive ashes at Ash Wednesday services, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.
During Ash Wednesday services, ashes are marked on the foreheads of the faithful with the Sign of the Cross. The ashes are a symbol of penance and remind us that we are creatures of the earth and mortal beings: “For dust you are and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19).
Alleluia
You might not have noticed, but the use of the word “Alleluia” is verboten during Lent. What is known as the “Alleluia verse” preceding the Gospel becomes known during Lent as “the verse before the Gospel,” with a variety of possible phrases to be used – none of which include an alleluia.
“The Alleluia was known for its melodic richness and in the early Church was considered to ornament the liturgy in a special way,” Father Stice said, adding it was banned from Lenten Masses in the fifth or sixth century.
Fasting
Ash Wednesday also is a day of abstinence and fasting; Good Friday is another. Abstinence means refraining from eating meat; fish is OK. Fasting means reducing one’s intake of food, like eating two small meals that together would not equal one full meal.
“Fasting during Lent followed the example of Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness. It also recalled the 40 days that Moses fasted on Sinai and the 40 days that Elijah fasted on his journey to Mount Horeb,” Father Stice said.
“In the second century, Christians prepared for the feast of Easter with a two-day fast. This was extended to all of Holy Week in the third century. In 325 the Council of Nicea spoke of a 40-day period of preparation for Easter as something already obvious and familiar to all.”
— Mark Pattison, Catholic News Service
More online: Read more about the customs of Ash Wednesday