Emmanuel Lutheran Church

February 2022
February 14 is Valentine’s Day, a day that celebrates love and romance. Why was this day singled out? Why is it called “Valentine’s Day?” Did you know it has a lot to do with the church?

The Catholic Church recognizes three different saints named Valentine. There are interesting legends surrounding each. One legend tells of an imprisoned Valentine sending a letter before his death to a young girl with whom he fell in love that he signed “from your Valentine.”

February 14 may have been chosen as a day in the church to commemorate St. Valentine as a Christian response to the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, celebrated on February 15. Lupercalia was a Roman fertility festival.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine’s Day at the end of the 5th century. It wasn’t until the middle ages that this day became associated with love. Written valentine greetings go back as far as the early 1400’s.

That’s probably more than you wanted to know about Valentine’s Day, but I wanted to show you how it actually has its beginnings in the church and why it is associated with love today.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Martin Luther called this “the Gospel in miniature.” This “love” is far different than the romantic love we might think about. This is, for lack of better words, “Godly love.” It is the attitude of a perfect God towards an imperfect humanity which inspires a reciprocal love for God and for others.

I had a seminary professor who interpreted the word “so” not as in “so much” but rather: God loved the world in this way, that he gave his only Son… God’s “valentine” to the world was his Son, Jesus who, in the words of St. Paul, “…God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

We will never be able to love like this. But if we were, what then would God’s love be? But those who know the love of God in this way can’t help but worship the God of love with all their heart and share the news of this great love through word and deed to all the world. There are plenty of people out there who need this sort of “valentine.”

Share God’s love and make someone’s Valentine’s Day truly blessed!

Pastor Alan