February 14, 2014

Feast Day St. Valentine

This saint's feastday is well known far beyond the Catholic Church because of its association with lovers. Cards, gifts, and romantic dinners are timed in his honor.
Surprisingly, not that much is known about St. Valentine. He was a priest in Italy and was martryed in 269 outside Rome along the Flaminian Way. A basilica was built there in 350, but a church under his patronage already existed in Interamna (Terni). He may have been bishop there. His relics were transferred in the ninth century to Rome's church of St. Praxedes.
There are two main theories why Valentine is linked to lovers. In the 14th century, First, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poem suggesting that birds choose their mates on February 14. Second, at the pagan festival of Lupercalia (February 15), names of young men and young women were drawn at random. The feast of St. Valentine may be a Christianized version of this—but now not for random pairings!

Comment:
Valentine could have saved his life by denying his Christian faith. He chose to affirm it instead.
Self-sacrifice and love are always linked.

Patron Saint of:
Greetings
Lovers

Reading 1 1 kgs 11:29-32; 12:19

Jeroboam left Jerusalem,
and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road.
The two were alone in the area,
and the prophet was wearing a new cloak.
Ahijah took off his new cloak,
tore it into twelve pieces, and said to Jeroboam:

“Take ten pieces for yourself;
the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
‘I will tear away the kingdom from Solomon’s grasp
and will give you ten of the tribes.
One tribe shall remain to him for the sake of David my servant,
and of Jerusalem,
the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.’”

Israel went into rebellion against David’s house to this day.

Responsorial Psalm ps 81:10-11ab, 12-13, 14-15

R. (11a and 9a) I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“There shall be no strange god among you
nor shall you worship any alien god.
I, the LORD, am your God
who led you forth from the land of Egypt.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“My people heard not my voice,
and Israel obeyed me not;
So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts;
they walked according to their own counsels.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.
“If only my people would hear me,
and Israel walk in my ways,
Quickly would I humble their enemies;
against their foes I would turn my hand.”
R. I am the Lord, your God: hear my voice.

Gospel mk 7:31-37

Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”