February is always celebrated as a season of love. It’s Saint Valentine’s Day in February when everyone is supposed to be thoughtful of their loved one, and hopeful about their relationships.
The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine, the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius condemned the priest to death around 290 B.C.
Not much is really known about him, except that a church or two was named for him (or another priest with the same name) and a hospital was also dedicated to his memory by one of the Popes. How Valentinus finally became connected to a day set aside for showing love is a mystery, but like Saint Klaus (a norse priest who gave gifts – whom today we call Santa Clause) his legend grew beyond all proportion to his life.
It would indeed be good if February were a month when everyone aspired to make things better, to get along, and focus on improving relationship (personal or otherwise). It would be good if we celebrated goodness and kindness, the way we used to celebrate Christmas (as a season for giving, rather than getting). At every turn along life’s way we can forget what really matters and see a need to be reminded to take up the good things again.
I long for that to be the characteristic of our church: that people would think of the kind people and their loving example when they think of the congregation of United Presbyterian in Cañon City. Maybe we already have that reputation among some in our city, but it’s never too late to aspire anew for that to be our reflection of God’s glory.
Goodness never goes out of season, and kindness is always welcomed. Let this be a reminder to us to do what we can, when we can, to make a positive difference in our community and our world. God who loves us invites us to be loving like Him. So let’s set our minds again to that work. It’s a big part of why we exist in the first place.
In celebration of all the saints who tried to make the world a better place,
February is always celebrated as a season of love. It’s Saint Valentine’s Day in February when everyone is supposed to be thoughtful of their loved one, and hopeful about their relationships.