Member-only story
Love. . .
Is definitely a many-splendored thing.
Today, as I write this, it is Valentine’s Day. It is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the death of Valentine of Terin (Feb 14, 269 AD). The celebration coincided with the feast of Lupercalia (Feb 13 to 15), a Roman festival dedicated to fertility.
The story behind St. Valentine is that, against Emperor Claudius II’s orders, he secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. Claudius ordered him beheaded and the execution was conducted in mid-February.
The church may have chosen February 14 to give religious meaning to the Roman festival held on that date which celebrated Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture.
Today, of course, it is the day we celebrate love and give our loved ones flowers, chocolates, and cards with red hearts on them as symbols or our love. Some say it is a day Hallmark and the candy industry created to add some joy (and business) to the short days and long nights of winter here in the northern hemisphere.
Thirty years ago, Dr. Gary Chapman, a pastor and radio hose in North Carolina, published a book titled The Five Love Languages: How to Express heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. In it, he discusses five ways we give and receive love:
- Words of affirmation. Compliments. (We encourage each other.)
