Who was St. Valentine?

 Who was St. Valentine? 

Read on and find out...

There are four early saints with the name Valentine, but the one whose feast we celebrate today was a Bishop who was martyred during the persecution of the Church by the Emperor Claudius II around the year 270AD.

 Claudius had banned marraige for any man who was entering the army, in the belief that the soldier having no ties to family would be more likely to die for the empire, added to this he had also banned the worship of any god except the Emperor. Valentine continued to perform secret marraiges for the soldiers who were Christians, but was eventually betrayed to the Emperor. 

On being brought before him for trial, Claudius was astounded by the conviction and courage of the man and offered him a high place in government if only he would renounce the Christian God. Even after torture Valentine refused to offer incense to the Emperor and was eventually sentenced to death. While in prison he became friends with the daughter of the jailer and wrote to her a final letter which he signed, "from your Valentine", from which the custom of sending "Valentines" arose. 

He was martyred on the 14th of February a day that was around the pagan feast of lupercalia when couples were betrothed and a day traditionally picked by bird keepers for the pairing of doves for the year ahead. Because of this Valentine quickly became the patron of engaged couples and those seeking a spouse. 

His relics lie in the Carmelite Church of Whitefriar St in Dublin, Ireland. The custom has arisen of blessing engagement rings on this day in his honour. So there we go... a feast of love as compassion, as healing, and as self sacrificing for the highest good... that's what we celebrate today... isn't it?

The images show the shrine of St. Valentine in Dublin and shows his major relics in the casket beneath his image there. Other relics are preserved in Glasgow (skull)  and Rome (bones)

An Icon of the Franciscan Contemplative Journey

I love this image of the Christ of the Cross of San Damiano surrounded by our Capuchin saints and martyrs. It was created to celebrate the recent beatification of the many brothers who were martyred during the Spanish persecution of the Church and the Civil War. Sadly I don't have the name of the artist..but if anyone out there knows then please let me know and I will duly credit them.

It is a profoundly theological image which, though modern, uses medieval imagery to depict our sainted brothers in the act of contemplating the Christ of the Cross of San Damiano. This is the Cross before which St. Francis had the vision of the Crucified who told him to, "Go and Rebuild my Church, which as you see is falling into ruin!", thus beginning the Franciscan Movement. 

Depiction of the moment of the Vision of the Christ of San Damiano

The Cross of San Damiano is unusal as it represents not a a suffering or dying Christ but one who is the Eternal Logos (The Word of God) and the Crucified and Risen Christ in the One Eternal Now as depicted by the Divine Mandorla. (The Full Divine Halo that surrounds Christ and indicates the fullness of His Divinity and the point of contact between the Divine annd Creation.) His place within the Trinity is seen in the trifold knot of His Robe and His vivifying of all creation is seen in the concave abdomen which shows Him breathing life into all creation.

Modern version of the Full San Damiano Crucifix

As for the friars who surround Him they rest within the light of the Mandorla (the Divine Uncreated Light) to show they have completed the Spiritual journey of their vocation to Franciscan brotherhood in the living of the Gospel. The four stars illustrate the four Gospels by which the fullness of the Revelation of the Christ is received and meditated upon by the brothers. A perfect meditation on the Franciscan Contemplative journey in iconographic symbolism!

Relics of some of the Capuchin Saints of the Spanish Persecution