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A great reason to celebrate St. Valentine's Day!
The real St. Valentine was a champion of true love, a Christian bishop with a strong faith.
He was imprisoned and sentenced to
death for helping Christian soldiers to marry. This was against
the orders of Roman Emperor Claudius II who had outlawed
marriage because he believed that the result would be
stronger and better soldiers. While St. Valentine was in prison,
Asterius his jailer, asked Valentine to use his faith to heal his
daughter, Julia, who was blind. As a result both Asterius and
Julia were converted to Christianity and Valentine fell in love
with Julia. The night before his execution he left a final note
for Julia and signed it, “from your Valentine.”
Sadly, he was executed on 14 February, 270 AD and buried at
the Church of Praxedes in Rome. It is said that Julia planted a
pink blossomed almond tree near his grave and that it is still
there today as a symbol of lasting love and friendship.
Take a look below to learn more about the great FREE resources we offer to assist your family or ministry in celebrating real love at Valentine's!
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