Love is one of the primary focuses of the calendar in early February, as the Church celebrates National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14) and World Marriage Day (Sunday, Feb. 8) as well as the feast of St. Valentine (Feb. 14). While there are actually three St. Valentines in the church calendar, all of them were martyrs and all are remembered on Feb. 14. According to tradition, St. Valentine risked his life to marry Christian couples during a time of persecution. Here are some ideas for bringing faith into your Valentine’s Day celebrations:
Valentine’s Day from a Catholic perspective is all about sharing love with those in your family and with the wider community. Fun ideas for the day include baking heart-shaped treats and sharing them with others, sending handmade scriptural Valentine’s Day cards with Bible verses about love, or creating prayers jars. To make the jars, write caring ideas on strips of paper – such as praying for each other, doing a good deed, or offering Mass or adoration for another’s intentions – and then fill a mason jar with the strips. Each day, pull one out randomly and fulfill the task. Find more recipes.