by Don Emmitte |
|
|
If I could speak in any language in heaven or on
earth but didn't love others, I would only be making meaningless noise
like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and
if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about
everything, but didn't love others, what good would I be? And if I had the
gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move,
without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to
the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I
didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patient and
kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not
demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when
it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices
whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is
always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NLV). Let’s go
back in history. We celebrate Valentine's Day, because until 1969, it was
one of the many Saint's Days observed by the Catholic Church. It was
dedicated to the patron saint of romantic causes, St. Valentine. Although
it was removed from the Church's calendar in 1969, the religious meaning
coupled with Valentine's Day's roots in Roman paganism have allowed it to
continue as a holiday for everyone. Early
Christians saw Valentine's Day as a way to honor St. Valentine, of whom
there was actually three. The Catholic Church recognizes three saints by
that name, all who were martyred on February 14th. The St. Valentine the
day is named for was, most likely, a priest in the 3rd century who
performed secret marriages when the Roman Emperor Claudius II thought
single soldiers were more likely to enlist in the army. That’s the St.
Valentine who was imprisoned and executed on February 4, 270. It is
believed he was responsible for giving the jailer's blind daughter back
her eyesight, and before his execution, he sent her a note saying,
"From your Valentine." The phrase is still widely used on
valentines today. It wasn't until 1537 that St. Valentine's day was
declared an official holiday. England's King Henry VIII, known for his
ways of disposing of wives, declared February 14th a holiday. It was
another century and a half before religious devotional cards became
non-religious cards to reflect the change in the holiday. In 496 Pope
Gelasius declared AD, February 14th, in the name of St. Valentine. It
remained a Church holiday until 1969, when Pope Paul VI took it from the
calendar. On February 14th, the ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of
Lupercalia in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses.
Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage so honoring her was
thought to be a fertility rite. At the feast held the next day, the women
would write love letters and stick them in a large urn. The men would pick
a letter from the urn and for the next year, pursue the woman who wrote
the chosen letter. This custom lasted until the 1700s when people decided
their love should be chosen by sight, not luck. As our reading teaches, love is much more than a feeling. It certainly cannot be experienced through “luck.” It takes work on the part of both people in the relationship to make love really work. Commit yourself to that kind of love today! |
|
