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Saints' Discussion Forums  |  Forums  |  Saints' & Spiritual Life General Discussion  |  Topic: Happy St. Valentine's Day 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. « previous next »
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Shin
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« on: February 14, 2010, 06:33:22 PM »

Happy St. Valentine's day to everyone.

St. Valentine was a martyr who visited the imprisoned Christians in Rome in the earliest years of the Church, and was punished for this. He was at least a priest, believed to be a bishop, and also a physician like St. Luke.

I heard one bishop tell me that St. Valentine would send notes to his people saying 'Christ loves you', and so forth, Valentines. I do not know if this part of his history is a pious legend or the actual story.

According to SQPN he is represented in art as with birds, roses, as a bishop with a crippled or epileptic child at his feet, a bishop with a rooster nearby, a bishop performing a wedding, a bishop refusing to adore an idol, a bishop being beheaded, a priest bearing a sword, a priest holding a sun and as a priest giving sight to a blind girl.

Besides his patronage of love, he is also associated with bee keepers, against epilepsy, plague, and for travellers. Bees are generally representative in Christian symbolism as a symbol of virtue, because of how the bees all work together in an orderly fashion, producing sweet honey for their queen -- as Christians should for their Queen do works of sweet grace. So you will sometimes see bees on altars and throughout a church in its bas reliefs.

The Golden Legend relates his story thus:

Saint Valentine, friend of our Lord and priest of great authority, was at Rome. It happed that Claudius the emperor made him to come tofore him and said to him in demanding: What thing is that which I have heard of thee, Valentine? Why wilt thou not abide in our amity, and worship the idols and renounce the vain opinion of thy creance? Saint Valentine answered him: If thou hadst very knowledge of the grace of Jesu Christ thou shouldest not say this that thou sayest, but shouldest reny the idols and worship very God. Then said to Saint Valentine a prince which was of the council of the emperor: What wilt thou say of our gods and of their holy life? And Saint Valentine answered: I say none other thing of them but that they were men mortal and mechant and full of all ordure and evil. Then said Claudius the emperor: If Jesu Christ be God verily, wherefore sayst thou not the truth? And Saint Valentine said: Certainly Jesu Christ is only very God, and if thou believe in him, verily thy soul shall be saved, thy realm shall multiply, and he shall give to thee alway victory of thine enemies. Then Claudius turned him unto all them that were there, and said to them: Lords, Romans, hear ye how wisely and reasonably this man speaketh? Anon the provost of the city said: The emperor is deceived and betrayed, how may we leave that which we have holden and been accustomed to hold sith our infancy? With these words the emperor turned and changed his courage, and Saint Valentine was delivered in the keeping of the provost.

When Saint Valentine was brought in an house in prison, then he prayed to God, saying: Lord Jesu Christ very God, which art very light, enlumine this house in such wise that they that dwell therein may know thee to be very God. And the provost said: I marvel me that thou sayest that thy God is very light, and nevertheless, if he may make my daughter to hear and see, which long time hath been blind, I shall do all that thou commandest me, and shall believe in thy God. Saint Valentine anon put him in prayers, and by his prayers the daughter of the provost received again her sight, and anon all they of the the house were converted. After, the emperor did do smite off the head of Saint Valentine, the year of our Lord two hundred and eighty. Then let us pray to Saint Valentine that he get us pardon of our sins. Amen.
 
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'Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra. . . Fulcite me floribus. (The flowers appear on the earth. . . stay me up with flowers. Sg 2:12,5)
Brigid
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« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2011, 07:11:46 PM »

Quote
Bees are generally representative in Christian symbolism as a symbol of virtue, because of how the bees all work together in an orderly fashion, producing sweet honey for their queen -- as Christians should for their Queen do works of sweet grace. So you will sometimes see bees on altars and throughout a church in its bas reliefs.
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For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.
Matt. 6:21
Patricia
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« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2011, 09:26:52 AM »

Nice quote. Smiley
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Shin
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« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2011, 06:05:08 AM »

You know I love the bees. . . thank you Brigid.

Here's a quote I found today.

"O my child, bethink you that just as the bee, having gathered heaven's dew and earth's sweetest juices from amid the flowers, carries it to her hive; so the Priest, having taken the Saviour, God's Own Son, Who came down from Heaven, the Son of Mary, Who sprang up as earth's choicest flower, from the Altar, feeds you with that Bread of Sweetness and of all delight."

St. Francis de Sales

 Cheesy
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'Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra. . . Fulcite me floribus. (The flowers appear on the earth. . . stay me up with flowers. Sg 2:12,5)
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« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2011, 04:02:11 PM »

I like to think of humans as Bumble Bees that turn into Honey Bees and make honey (good fruit) when they get close to God. Cheesy
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Shin
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« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2011, 11:24:51 PM »

I like to think of humans as Bumble Bees that turn into Honey Bees and make honey (good fruit) when they get close to God. Cheesy

I love that idea... Cheesy

Thank you!
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« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2020, 02:33:41 PM »

Sad, I think, that St Valentine is no longer specifically recognized in most of my calendars.  I've read that two separate men of this name, were listed for a time in the Roman Martyrology, both martyred, although I've also read that the Bollandists think it more likely that only one actually existed.  According to the Oxford Dictionary of Saints, a Roman Lupercalia feast was celebrated in mid-February.
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CyrilSebastian
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« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2020, 09:00:16 PM »

St. Valentine of Rome along with St. Marius and his family comforted the martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II.
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eschator83
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« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2022, 12:15:51 PM »

I report with mixed emotions that my Catholic Publishing Calendar honors St Valentine as does our Works Calendar, although the Lodi Roman Calendar does not, and my parish calendar refers to Valentine's Day but with no reference to Saint.  May we celebrate our Catholic heritage and ask for St Valentine's prayer.
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Shin
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« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2022, 09:13:17 PM »

S. Valentine, ora pro nobis!
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'Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra. . . Fulcite me floribus. (The flowers appear on the earth. . . stay me up with flowers. Sg 2:12,5)
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« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2023, 04:30:43 PM »

St. Valentine was a clergyman (either a priest or a bishop) in the Roman empire who ministered to persecuted Christians.
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