Valentine’s Story

Sumit Dhanraj writes of how St Valentine risked his life to bring young lovers togetherCome February 14, and lovers all over the world will gift cards, chocolate-covered candy hearts, and flowers to express their feelings for their loved ones. The day also marks the exchange of millions of love notes in the form of ‘valentines’.There are varying opinions on the origin of Valentine’s Day. Some historians say that February 14 marks the day when St Valentine, a Roman, was martyred for refusing to support Emperor Claudius’ demands that young men give up thoughts of marriage and sign up for the army.Love Is ForeverSt Valentine was a priest at a temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius in the third century. He wanted a big army, but many of the men were reluctant to leave their wives and families to join the army. Not many signed up and this made the emperor furious. He came up with an idea that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So, Claudius decided to ban marriages!Young people, however, thought this new law was cruel. Seeing the distress of young lovers who were unable to come together in matrimony because of the draconian law instituted by the emperor, St Valentine resolved that he would not support this law.And so it came to be that one of his favourite activities was to marry couples. He continued to secretly marry true lovers despite Emperor Claudius’ law. It must have been quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride, the groom and the priest — in this case, St Valentine. I can almost hear the vows being whispered, even as Valentine kept an ear alert to listen to the steps of the soldiers. On one such dark night, Valentine did hear the dreaded footsteps. The couple escaped, but Valentine was thrown into jail for disobeying the emperor. Love Conquers AllValentine was sentenced to death for going against the law but he tried to stay cheerful. And some wonderful things happened. Many young people came to see him in the jail. They threw flowers and notes up to his window. They wanted him to know that they, too, believed in love.One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard, whose father allowed her to visit him in the cell. Sometimes, they would sit and talk for hours. She helped keep his spirits up. She agreed that he did the right thing by ignoring the emperor and by going ahead with all those secret marriages. On the day he was to die, he left his new friend with a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, “Love from your Valentine.” He died on February 14, in the year 269.More than 200 years after Valentine’s death, Pope Gelasius decided to honour St Valentine on February 14. Gradually, young lovers began exchanging love messages and St Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.Over the years, the custom of young lovers sending poems and flowers to one another, followed by notes, began. Valentine’s Day now commemorates love and friendship, for that is what leads to love.The day has come to embody the values of true friendship, love and sacrifice, and not of self-gratification. Love is not a shallow, external emotion. It is permanent, deep and unites two hearts. Love remains, forever, enchanting. Says author John Powell in his book, The Secret of Staying in Love: “The I of one is in constant search of the Thou of another and the We of a love relationship.”February 14 celebrates the rejuvenating power of true love — and not just the kind of love that is between lovers, but also the love you feel for your parents, children, elders, neighbours, humanity, and God.