Like many holidays we celebrate, we don’t really know how Valentine’s Day began. We know it’s a day to celebrate love, and we know that the consumer market loves its overpriced candy and flowers, but what was the original purpose of V-Day, and where did it begin? I was interested, so I took some time to find out. I was shocked by my discovery.

The History

Like most holidays, Valentine’s Day was established by the Catholic Church to commemorate Saint Valentine. Saint Valentine lived in 270 A.D. and served the church as a priest. He was a very devout Christian man who publicly spoke of God’s love and mercy. During his adult life, he was arrested for refusing to serve the Roman gods. Saint Valentine was taken before the Roman emperor and asked to renounce his faith. When he refused to do so, he was imprisoned.

Legend has it that he continued to share his faith with the inmates and guards while in prison. One of the soldiers asked him if God could help his adopted daughter, who was blind. Saint Valentine, moved with compassion, prayed for God’s mercy, and the soldier’s daughter was healed. When the emperor got word of what happened, he immediately ordered for Saint Valentine to be beheaded.

The Message

Whether you’re a person of faith or not doesn’t really matter, the point of sharing this story isn’t about religion but about the true roots of this holiday. The Catholic Church commemorated this day as a day to remember love, but it’s not the love we currently celebrate. Its purpose wasn’t to herald romantic relationships but rather to remember the deep love that sacrifices for truth and justice. The day was about reminding our hearts and minds that love gives fully of the self, even in times of great difficulty.

Mother Teresa is one of those I will remember this Valentine’s Day. I will remember her attitude and her bright spirit in the midst of the sick and dying. I will remember the conviction she had to serve the poor. She abandoned the pleasures of life to give herself fully to those in need. I will remember her words: “I have found the paradox–that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

Celebrate with Honor

So on this Valentine’s Day, celebrate your loved ones: your spouse, your kids, and your parents. But add a little extra reverence and sincere remembrance, too. Remember those who deeply loved you and made great sacrifices for you. Take time and recall the moments when you couldn’t find your way and someone came to your side to comfort and rescue you. Gather your children, and read stories of people throughout history who gave in this way, people like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and so on. Watch a movie with this theme, like “Gladiator,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” or “Titanic.” Gather ancient stories of tragedy, triumph, and the purest form of love, and pass them on for generations to come.

Read more about the history of Valentine’s Day here.

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