St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor 13
Love is patient and kind,
It doesn’t envy or boast
and it’s never proud.
Love is not rude or selfish,
It doesn’t get angry easily,
or keep track of wrongs.
Love doesn’t delight in bad
things but it rejoices in the
truth. Love always protects,
trusts, hopes and perseveres.
Love never fails.
On February 14, the Catholic Church commemorates St. Valentine, the patron saint of couples and young people in love.
One tradition in the church is that St. Valentine was a Roman priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. The emperor realized that unmarried men made better soldiers so he forbade young men to become engaged or to marry. St. Valentine, realizing the injustice of this law, helped young couples to marry in secret.
He was eventually betrayed, and the emperor had him arrested and thrown in jail. He supposedly converted his jailer while he was incarcerated. Ultimately, he was martyred by beheading.
Another story of St. Valentine says that he was arrested for helping Christians escape the harsh and brutal conditions of Roman jails. He is purported to have fallen in love with a young woman, perhaps the jailer’s daughter. Before he died, he wrote her one last letter, which he signed, “from your Valentine.”
St. Valentine of Rome
Feast day: 14 February
Patron saint of:
- Engaged couples
- Married couples
- Young people
- Love and faithful friendship
Who Was St. Valentine?
St. Valentine was a 3rd-century priest (or bishop) in Rome during the persecution under Emperor Claudius II.
According to ancient tradition:
- Claudius banned marriages, believing unmarried men made better soldiers.
- Valentine secretly performed Christian marriages anyway.
- He was arrested for defending Christian marriage and love.
For this, he was martyred around AD 269.
Miracles & Legends
- While imprisoned, Valentine healed the blind daughter of his jailer.
- Before his execution, he left her a note signed:
“From your Valentine”
—the origin of Valentine messages.
Why He Matters Today
St. Valentine reminds us that:
- Love is sacrificial, not sentimental
- Marriage is holy and worth defending
- True love is rooted in faith, fidelity, and courage
Very much in line with the Church’s teaching on love—not just romance, but self-giving love (caritas).
FEBRUARY 14: SAINT VALENTINE
The love of God reigns in the hearts of all saints, but there is one who has the joy of being the patron saint of lovers: St. Valentine.
According to a tradition, St. Valentine risked his life to marry couples in a Christian way during the time of persecution. He finally gave his life in martyrdom, which is the ultimate manifestation of love. The love of this holy priest for Jesus Christ and for defending the Sacrament of Matrimony inspires us to raise human love to the heights of the divine love for which we were created. Christians should take advantage of this feast to recover the Christian meaning of love and marriage in the light of Christ.
Powerful Prayer to St. Valentine
O glorious advocate and protector,
St. Valentine,
look with pity upon our wants,
hear our requests,
attend to our prayers,
relieve by your intercession,
the miseries under which we labor,
and obtain for us the divine blessing,
that we may be found worthy
to join you in praising the
Almighty for all eternity:
through the merits of
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
Prayer to St. Valentine
Dear Saint and glorious martyr,
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 in God in each other.
Love
St. Paul to the Corinthians
Love is patient and kind,
It doesn’t envy or boast
and it’s never proud.
Love is not rude or selfish,
It doesn’t get angry easily,
or keep track of wrongs.
Love doesn’t delight in bad
things but it rejoices in the
truth. Love always protects,
trusts, hopes and perseveres.
Love never fails.
PRAYERS
The Act of Love is a traditional prayer that goes like this:
O Lord God, I love you above all things
and I love my neighbor for your sake
because you are the highest, infinite and perfect good,
worthy of all my love.
In this love I intend to live and die.
Amen.
Litany of the Love of God
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father in heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Thou Who art Infinite Love,
I love Thee, O my God. *
Thou Who didst first love me, *
Thou Who commandest me to love Thee, *
With all my heart,*
With all my soul, *
With all my mind, *
With all my strength, *
Above all possessions and honors, *
Above all pleasures and enjoyments, *
More than myself and all that belongs to me, *
More than all my relatives and friends, *
More than all men and angels, *
Above all created things in heaven or on earth, *
Only for Thyself, *
Because Thou art the sovereign Good, *
Because Thou art infinitely worthy of being loved, *
Because Thou art infinitely perfect, *
Even hadst Thou not promised me heaven, *
Even hadst Thou not menaced me with hell, *
Even shouldst Thou try me by want and misfortune, *
In wealth and in poverty, *
In prosperity and in adversity, *
In health and in sickness, *
In life and in death, *
In time and in eternity, *
In union with that love wherewith all the Saints and all the Angels love Thee in heaven, *
In union with that love wherewith the Blessed Virgin Mary loveth Thee, *
In union with that infinite love wherewith Thou lovest Thyself eternally, *
Let us pray:
My God, Who dost possess in incomprehensible abundance all that is perfect and worthy of love, annihilate in me all guilty, sensual, and undue love for creatures: kindle in my heart the pure flame of Thy love, so that I may love nothing but Thee or in Thee, until, being entirely consumed by holy love of Thee, I may go to love Thee eternally with the elect in Heaven, the country of pure love. Amen.
14th February Valentine’s Day
Love https://saintmichaelusa.org/love/
14th February Valentine’s Day
Marriage https://saintmichaelusa.org/marriage/
Happy Valentine’s Day
14th February!
St. Valentine – The Martyr of Love and Compassion
St Valentine is remembered as a Roman priest who lived during Emperor Claudius II’s rule. When the emperor banned marriages for young men believing single men made better soldiers, Valentine secretly helped couples marry. He was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and executed for defying the law. Another story says he was jailed for helping Christians escape harsh prison conditions, where he formed a bond with a young woman and wrote her a farewell letter signed “From your Valentine” before his execution. His life and sacrifice made him a symbol of love, faith, and devotion.
Special Gifts to Celebrate Love on St. Valentine’s Day
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