The Family-Centered Life

St. Valentine

This is late but too beautiful not to share. I hope you had a lovely St. Valentine’s day!

The Saint Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on seeing that Valentine would never renounce his faith, had him beaten with clubs, and afterwards, beheaded. This was executed on February 14, about the year 270.

Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to his memory, which, for a long time, gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini. The greatest part of his relics are now in the church of St. Praxedes.

His name is celebrated as that of an illustrious martyr in the sacramentary of St. Gregory, the Roman Missal of Thomasius, in the calendar of F. Fronto and that of Allatius, in Bede, Usuard, Ado, Notker and all other martyrologies on this day.

Dear Saint and glorious Martyr, be gracious to those whom we love and to us. Teach us to love unselfishly and to find great joy in giving. Enable all true lovers to bring out the best in each other. Let them love each other in God and God in each other. Amen.

Liturgy for the Feast of St. Valentine

Entrance Antiphon
Here is a true martyr who shed his blood for Christ.
His judges could not shake him by their menaces,
and so he won through to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Opening Prayer
All powerful, ever living God,
You gave St Valentine the courage to witness to the
Gospel of Christ,
even to the point of giving his life for it.
By his prayers help us to endure all suffering for love of You
and to seek You with all our hearts,
for You alone are the source of life.
Grant this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son . . . .

Amen.

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