Valentine's Day - not always so special

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:

I have loved you
with an everlasting love
I have called you
and you are mine!

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