Image appears with permission of MarzyCards
Special days have a way of leaving some folks feeling not so special... Holidays do this when their approach builds expectations of a joy whose arrival can't be guaranteed by a particular date on the calendar. One of those days is today, Valentine's Day.
The church calendar no longer commemorates St. Valentine. When February 14 falls outside of Lent the church calendar marks it as the memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The story of how this day came to be the occasion of love letters, flowers and chocolates is an interesting one whose pagan roots are less than edifying.
Valentine's Day is for lovers but not all loving and lovable people will find cards, roses and sweets at their door. For some this will be one of the happiest days of the year, for others one of the saddest. Any day that puts our hearts in the spotlight will be a day of mixed emotions and those whose hearts are burdened or broken may find February 14 a day to simply endure and get beyond.
It's unfortunate that Valentine's Day is so closely, almost entirely associated with romantic love. There are so many kinds of love that people share, love whose source and sustenance is something far deeper and greater than an arrow from Cupid's bow. The Valentine industry may boom this week but soon enough the roses will droop and the heart-shaped boxes will be empty. When the trappings of the day are behind us, those who know and share a deeper kind of love will have something that cannot be bought in a store, ordered from a florist or made by Godiva.
Many loving and lovable people gather in this place, some every day. May you see how beautiful you are in the eyes of the Lover who offers you his heart and who writes upon your heart these tender words:
YI have loved you
with an everlasting loveY
YI have called you
and you are mineY
with an everlasting loveY
YI have called you
and you are mineY
-ConcordPastor
Thanks for making a dreaded day a much nicer day after reading your thoughts on Valentines Day.
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's day, CP.
ReplyDeleteWhy did St. Valentine get taken off the church calendar?
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Valentine's Day to one and all!
Most of what is "known" of St. Valentine is legend. There is scarce historical documentation regarding him.
ReplyDeleteIn 1969 the Roman Catholic Church revised its liturgical calendar and dropped the names of many about whom very little is known.
Clearly, this move did not hurt Hallmark Cards or Godiva Chocolates.
I constantly listen to friends tell me not to fret on Valentine's Day. "Celebrate love, all kinds of love, what difference does it make if you are single?". Well it is hard to celebrate "love" when there is a media and marketing blitz depicting only romantic love. There are no commercials showing a mother and her son. There is no magazine ads showing 2 dear friends, or a Hallmark slogan saying "On this day remember your granmother".
ReplyDeleteIt has become about romantic love. No matter what we would like it to be, that is what it is. At least that is how I have felt until I read this today. (I wish I read it yesterday so I would not have been so cynical and bitter! lol)
I do have a true love. Maybe it is not a romantic love. But the notion of unwavering, unconditional love is romantic so I'll call it the same thing. If Valentine's day is about "true love" than I am going to do something for the only true love I have ever known. Get my butt in a pew today and make sure I tell him how I feel!
Thank you for this!