Saint Valentine

There are actually a few saints with the same name who are called Saint Valentine. One was a bishop of Terni. Another was a priest and doctor in Rome.  Saint Valentine from Rome is likely who is celebrated since he is a martyr.  Valentine’s priestly life kept him close to his people.

One legend says Saint Valentine was under house arrest.  While discussing religion and faith with Judge Asterius. Valentine said Jesus was the one true God. The judge put Valentine and his faith to the test immediately. Judge Asterius’s daughter was brought to Valentine.  She was blind. Valentine was told to restore her sight. The judge said if Valentine succeeded, he would do anything for Valentine.  Valentine placed his hands on the girl’s eyes and restored her ability to see.Judge Asterius followed Valentine’s requests.  He removed and destroyed all idols in his home. He fasted. He was baptized along with his family and 44 members of his household.  He went on to free all of his Christian inmates.

Valentine was arrested again for converting people to Christianity. He was sent to Emperor Claudius II. He was imprisoned for helping persecuted Christians. He was also secretly marrying Christian couples. This may have meant that husbands wouldn’t have to go to war. There was a law which said the marriage of young people was illegal.  It was believed unmarried soldiers fought better than married soldiers. Married soldiers may have worried about their family if they died. Roman society was very permissive at this time. The Church teaches that marriage is very important. It is between one man and one woman, and for life.  Marriage was encouraged. This was very much against what Roman society believed.

Claudius and Valentine began to talk. A friendship began. Then Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. Claudius was furious. He demanded Valentine renounce his faith.

Emperor Valerian issued a law in 257 forbidding Mass or sacraments. Valentine was martyred under Emperor Claudius. Valentine was sentenced to a three-part execution, beating, stoning and finally beheading. He was martyred in 269.  Saint Valentine is the patron saint of love, young people, and happy marriages.

Saint Scholastica

Saint Scholastica was born around 480 in Italy. Her parents were wealthy. She dedicated her life to God from the time she was very young. Her father depended on her after Scholastica’s mother had died, and didn’t want her to go, but he could not refuse God his child.  She is the twin sister of Saint Benedict, who formed the Benedictine order. They grew up together until he left home to continue his studies. He created a monastery near Monte Cassino.  She created the first Benedictine convent for nuns about five miles from his monastery.  They visited each other once a year.  She was not allowed in his monastery, so they met at a home between the two monasteries. They spent their visits praying and discussing spiritual matters.  

At one of these meetings, St. Scholastica begged her brother to stay until the next day.  St. Benedict refused to break his own rule that he not spend the night outside of his monastery.  She prayed and a major thunderstorm came.  It was storming so hard no one could return home. Benedict asked, “What have you done?”

She answered. “I asked and you would not listen, so I asked my God and He did listen.”

So they spent the rest of the night praying, discussion the faith, and the power of prayer.  The next day, both left.  Three days later Saint Scholastica died. In a vision, Saint Benedict saw her soul, in the form of a shining white dove go to heaven.  She died in 543.  Benedict had her buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself.  She is the patron saint of nuns and against thunderstorms.

Candlemas-Presentation of the Lord

This feast day is also known as Candlemas and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin.  It was called Candlemas because a priest blessed beeswax candles for use through the year. It is called Presentation of Jesus at the Temple because it is the day Mary and Joseph took forty-day old Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. Mary was considered unclean for 40 days after having a baby. This was a law of the Torah.  Mary and Joseph were poor so they couldn’t afford to pay for a lamb.  Instead, they sacrificed a pair of turtledoves or pigeons.  When they took Jesus to the Temple, they met Simeon.

God has promised Simeon he wouldn’t die before getting to see the Messiah.  After seeing Jesus Simeon said he could die in peace. Anna was an eighty-four-year-old widow.  She never left the temple.  She spent her time worshiping in prayer and fasting.  

With Anna present, Simeon purified Mary with prayer. Simeon and Anna were older people who were so dedicated to prayer they were able to recognize baby Jesus as the Messiah.  Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon said about baby Jesus. Simeon said the child would be the rise and fall of many in Israel and a sword would pierce Mary’s heart.

Called to holiness – Saint Francis De Sales

Francis de Sales was born August 21, 1567, into a noble family.  He was baptized Francis Bonaventura after two great Franciscan saints.  He had five younger brothers.  His father wanted him to be a lawyer or politician, so he attended the best schools.  He began college in 1583. Because he was a nobleman, he had his own servant and a priest tutor. To please his father her took classes in horseback riding, dancing, and fencing.

One day while he was horseback riding he fell from his horse three times.  Each time he fell from his horse, the sword came out of its scabbard. Each time it fell in the shape of the cross.

In 1584, he attended a theological discussion convincing him of his spiritual failing. He became very depressed through December of 1586. His sorrow made him physically ill and bedridden for a time. In January of 1587, he began to pray. He dedicated his life to God and joined the Minim Order. He completed college and went to Italy. He enrolled in another university studying law theology. He decided to become a priest.

He didn’t tell his father of his decision. While he was gone, his father had found him a job as a senator, and chosen him a bride.  His father had wanted a political-military career for him instead of the priesthood. The Bishop of Geneva helped Francis offering him one of the highest offices in the diocese.  Francis was ordained a priest in 1593.

During the Protestant Reformation, Francis decided he should lead an expedition to bring 60,000 people back to the Church. For three years he walked through the country, but no one would talk to him or even open their door to him. So he wrote little pamphlets to explain the true Catholic faith and slide them under the doors.

People wouldn’t come to him, so he went to the children.  Parents saw how kind he was playing with the children, so they began to talk to them. By the time Francis returned home he had returned 40,000 people to the Catholic Church.

He was friends with Pope Clement VIII and Henry IV of France. He gave Lenten sermons at the palace.

In 1602, the Bishop died. Francis was made Bishop of Geneva. He met Jane de Chantal and when they became friends they began to become saints. After years of working with Jane, he made up his mind to form a new religious community. He was always preaching and even teaching a deaf man, so he could take first Communion. He regularly wrote letters to give spiritual help. He also wrote two important books Introduction to the Devout Life and Treatise on the Love of God. He makes it clear that people are called to be saints.

At this time, most people believed only priests, bishops, nuns, and monks could become holy. Francis taught every Christian was called to holiness. His teaching was the groundwork for the Second Vatican Council and the universal call to holiness. He said every career, and every state of life, Christians can become more and more like Christ.  That’s what holiness really means.

While traveling, Francis suffered a stroke and died on December 28, 1622.  In 1661, he was beatified by Pope Alexander VII. Pope Alexander VII made him a saint in 1665.  Pope Pius IX declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1877.  He is the patron saint of writers and journalists.