The history of Valentine's Day is obscure, and further clouded by various fanciful legends. The holiday's roots are in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15.
Pope Gelasius I recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day circa 496, declaring February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day. Valentines Galore Which St. Valentine this early pope intended to honor remains a mystery: according to the Catholic Encyclopedia , there were at least three early Christian saints by that name. One was a priest in Rome, another a bishop
in Terni, and of a third St. Valentine almost nothing is known except that
he met his end in Africa. Rather astonishingly, all three Valentines were
said to have been martyred on Feb. 14. Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II around 270. At this stage, the factual ends and the mythic begins.
According to one legend, Claudius II had prohibited marriage for young men, claiming that
bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine continued to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but was eventually apprehended by the Romans and put to death. Another legend has it that
Valentine, imprisoned by Claudius, fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. Before he was
executed, he allegedly sent her a letter signed "from your Valentine." Probably the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not focused on Eros (passionate love) but on agape
(Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion. This is the kind of love tehat we are expected to show the God kind of love (agape). Lets see the God kind of love!
Characteristics of The God-Kind of Love, And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but THE GREATEST OF THESE IS CHARITY [love]. —1 Corinthians 13:13 He that loveth not knoweth not God; FOR GOD IS LOVE. —1 John 4:8 The Bible says that God is love. It also says that love is even greater than faith or hope. Well, since God is love, then we need to know what love is—that is, the God-kind of love. In First Corinthians 13:13, the King James Version of the Bible translates the word "love" as charity. Actually, it is to be regretted that the word "agape" was translated as charity because it doesn't really express the full meaning of the Greek word that is used in this verse. According to the dictionary, the word "charity" means a benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity. But the actual Greek word that is used here is "agape," which means the love of God. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the word "agape" is translated love instead of charity. For example, in First John 4:8, the Bible literally says, "God is agape." In other words, God is love. So the word "agape" means the God-kind of love. What is agape or the love of God? Before I answer that, let me show you something interesting about the love of God. The Bible says that love is greater than either hope or faith (1 Cor. 13:13). Why is God's love greater than hope or faith? First of all, faith won't work without love. In other words, faith is dependent on love in order to work. Galatians 5:6 says, "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." You can readily see that love would have to be greater if faith won't work without it. It takes love to make faith work. Second, faith won't work without hope. The New English translation of Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith gives substance to our hopes." You have to hope for something before your faith can give substance to it. So faith is also dependent on hope. HEBREWS 11:1 1 Now FAITH is the substance of things HOPED FOR, the evidence of things not seen. You see, if you don't hope for anything, your faith can't work because it has no goal or object to believe God for. Therefore, faith can't work without hope. Also, faith is dependent on love in order to work. That's why the Bible says that love is greater than either hope or faith. At a time like this when the purpose of valentine as being turned to a time of lus affairs, when the purpose of valentine as being abused, we only need to know whom God is and the God kind of love will be manifesting in your life. Show the especialy to the less privilege around for it is only through this that all men will we are his disciples when we have love for one another, dont show favoriticism and dont give birth to val baby. Love u all and Happy Valentine.
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