Valentine's Day

February 14 

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!  

Psalm 119:103  
A friend emailed this story about the history of Valentine's Day.

I have not checked the validity, but love the story and decided to pass it along.

"Did you know that Valentine's Day began with a prison ministry?  In the year A.D.320, the early church set aside February 14th to remember the heroic death of a man named Valentine, who was beheaded on a pagan altar because he refused to renounce Jesus Christ. According to historic tradition, Valentine was born into a wealthy Roman family and converted to Christianity as a young man, sometime around the year A.D. 240.

It was an era when the church was being severely persecuted by the degenerate Roman emperor, Cluadius II.  Thousands of Christians were imprisoned in the dark, tomb-like jails of Rome.  Wealthy Romans of the time considered it "entertainment" to visit the prisons and watch as Christians were tortured and put to death.

Valentine took advantage of his family connections to visit the prisons too-but he made it his mission to smuggle in small gifts of food to those facing martyrdom, always accompanied by a short note expressing love and encouragement.  Valentine, devout and strong-hearted, was eventually arrested and was martyred in Rome about A.D.270.  

Though the roots of the tradition are largely forgotten, his ministry of love and caring is still commemorated  today, more than 1,700 years later!

On Valentine's Day, share this important history with your children and grandchildren-and enjoy a little "ministering" together by delivering Valentine's Day treats to a local nursing home or children's hospital.  It is important to teach our children the Christian roots of many worldly traditions- and they are never too young to enjoy the blessing of showing love and generosity:"