Saint Valentine

Estimation Date as the real one is UNKNOWN.

The day Saint Valentine was born.

While in prison Valentine continued to minister to anyone he could, prayed and healed all those he could. When the emperor heard about this he was furious that Valentine was still making converts even in the prison, and so he decided to put an end to the work that Valentine was doing by having him tortured and beaten with clubs, and then afterwards had him beheaded.

St. Valentine was a Priest near Rome in about the year 270 A.D. Claudius began calling men to go into battle with him. Many of them were unwilling to go because they were either married, had families or did not wish to leave their sweethearts. And the emperor soon became angry when he saw that the number of soldiers were too few. And so he ordered that no marriages should be celebrated and that all engagements must be broken off immediately.

Saint Valentine heard of the emperor's command and felt it was a wrong command. So when a young couple came to the Church, he secretly united them in Christian marriage. It wasn't long before the word spread, and others came and were quietly married. Valentine soon gained a reputation as a friend of lovers and sweethearts in every district of Rome. But soon enough the emperor heard about it and through him in prison.

While in prison one of the guards, a man by the name of Asterius, was a good man who had adopted a blind girl many years earlier when she was just a little child and he asked Valentine if his God could help his daughter. Valentine prayed for her, and God healed the girl and restored her sight. Because of that, the guard and his whole family - all his relatives that were living in that area - 46 people - believed in Christ and were baptized.

History tells us that while Valentine was waiting for his own execution he fell in love with the jailer's daughter that had been healed. But being in prison, he was unable to spend much time with her or pursue a normal relationship so just before he was led out to his execution he managed to write one last note to her, a farewell message and he signed it "From Your Valentine." Which is where we get the tradition of signing our valentine notes that way.

God influenced Saint Valentine by showing him the right way to do things. He also showed the way he should live life and that he should live by the commandments.

The people he married showed him the love and determination that he should have. It also showed him that true love comes in many different forms and cases.

Him deciding to keep his faith is a big decision because it shows he is fully opening himself to God and allowing God fully into his life.

This is important because it still shows his determination and love for God. It also shows that he never lost hope and still believed in the word of God.