Why Saint Valentine?
At around the year 260 A.D. Claudius the Cruel was the Emperor of Rome. Rome was going through many bloody campaigns and wars, and the number of soldiers was decreasing. Claudius needed soldiers, and he believed that men were not going to the army because they wanted to stay with their wives and children. So, he decided to cancel all marriages and engagements in Rome. Many people disagreed with this rule, and one of them was the good Saint Valentine.
He was a priest whom believed in love. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death and to have his head cut off.
He was in prison for a while. Many young people went to the jail to visit him. 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. Her father allowed her to visit him in the cell. She helped me to keep my spirits up. Also, she agreed that he had done the right thing by having ignored the Emperor’s orders.
On the day Valentine was to die, he left his friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed: "Love from your Valentine." It is believed that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship.
He was a priest whom believed in love. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death and to have his head cut off.
He was in prison for a while. Many young people went to the jail to visit him. 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. Her father allowed her to visit him in the cell. She helped me to keep my spirits up. Also, she agreed that he had done the right thing by having ignored the Emperor’s orders.
On the day Valentine was to die, he left his friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed: "Love from your Valentine." It is believed that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship.
