The Episcopalian is a series of articles written by Deacon John for our newspaper "VISIONS". They are instructive and interesting and I hope to keep adding to them. They are on several pages and are in no particular order.
February brings St. Valentine's Day, and the life of a Saint ought to be a safe subject to write on. Just check a couple references and away we go. Unfortunately, nothing seems to turn out as simple as it first appears. First of all it really isn't Saint Valentine, but Saints Valentine. Seems that there were two: a Roman priest martyred on the Flaminian Way under Claudius and a bishop of Temi, also martyred at Rome. Some argue that it is just two renditions of the same event while others point to three or four other traditions regarding "St. Valentine."
As if several Valentines weren't enough of a problem, neither the priest or the bishop had any particular connection with lovers or courting couples. So why the tradition?
One explanation is based on the ancient Roman Lupercalia love festival which was celebrated on February 15th. This festival was so old that even before the birth of Jesus, the origins of the celebration had been lost. In 496 AD (or CE), Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia from the 15th to the 14th (how did he do that I wondered). Eventually the pagan Lupercalia died out, and only St. Valentine's day remained, but with the "love" connection.
So, are we celebrating the life of a martyred saint, or what's left over from a pagan festival? -- or does it matter? In any event, it seems like having a day to honor love is worthwhile. Deacon John 2/01