Perhaps we can start with the chuckle! The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her mobile and makeup. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. He ordered her to exit the car, with her hands up. He took her to the station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off at the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO” bumper sticker and the “FOLLOW ME TO SUNDAY SCHOOL” bumper sticker and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally…… I assumed you had stolen the car”.
No such hypocrisy with St. Valentine. He did not need or use stickers. His life was his bond. He was a Catholic priest. Born 270, in Italy and served in Rome. Valentine became famous for marrying couples who were in love but couldn’t get legally married in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, who outlawed weddings. Claudius wanted to recruit lots of men to be soldiers in his army and thought that marriage would be a big distraction. Claudius discovered that Fr. Valentine was performing weddings and jailed him. Valentine used his time in jail to continue to reach out to people with the love that he said Jesus Christ gave him for others. He befriended his jailer, Asterious, who became so impressed with Valentine’s wisdom that he asked Valentine to help his daughter, Julia, with her lessons. Julia was blind but she and Valentine became friends, and he helped her when she came to visit him in jail. He never wavered in his faith and also encouraged Emperor Claudius to place his trust in Christ. Claudius was so enraged that he sentenced Valentine to die. Before he was killed, Valentine wrote a last note to encourage Julia to stay close to Jesus and to thank her for being his friend. He signed the note: “From your Valentine.” That note inspired people to begin writing their own loving messages to people the same day on which Valentine was beaten, stoned, and beheaded, February 14, 270. The most famous miracle attributed to Saint Valentine involved the farewell note that he sent to Julia. Believers say that God miraculously cured Julia of her blindness so that she could personally read Valentine’s note, rather than just have someone else read it to her. Our loving words, thoughts, gifts should not be limited to Feb 14 but must be normal for Christians.
This month has another momentous day for Christians. The 18th is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of 40 days in closer union with Jesus in His Prayer, Fasting and the giving of His life to atone for us sinners. “No greater love, can a person have than to lay down His life for friends”. Sad to say, we have residents who won’t go to church because they might catch germs. Yes, we must take care of the body, but the ashes remind us that our bodies no matter how beautiful, will one day turn to ashes. Lent is our sacred time to focus on what can never be destroyed. That we take care of our immortal’ souls and make sure they are worthy to share in the Resurrection of Jesus, “Christ the first fruits to rise from the dead and after his coming, all who belong him” (1Cor 15-24). Lent is our time to take a closer look at the persons we are. Am I the best I can be? My new year resolution was to drive as Jesus would drive. Challenge, YES!