February 2026 "Saint Valentine’s Story" by Jacob Delayo

     February 14, Valentine's Day, is the day that couples all over the world get together and celebrate love. If you are still enough, you can sense the romance in the atmosphere. Stuffed animals and chocolates flood through the aisles, only for a brief moment. Not many people know the original story of Valentine's Day. Let us visit Rome, 50 A.D at this time, the Romans were fighting multiple wars. The ruler was Claudius the Second, or a.k.a. Claudius Gothicus. There was a need for soldiers due to the wars. At the time Soldiers were getting married, this was a problem. Once the soldiers were married, they could not go to war. So, Emperor Claudius had come up with the idea of banning marriages for his soldiers. There was a man whose name was Valentine. He was a priest living in Rome. He was known for ministering to Christan's. At the time, being a minister wasn’t the best thing. Remember, around this time Christan's were getting persecuted. This did not stop Saint Valentine; he performed marriage ceremonies for the soldiers in secret. So, when the emperor found out that Valentine was breaking the law, he was arrested. This made Claudius furious, so he condemned Valentine to death. When he was sitting in his jail cell. The judge heard of Valentine's beliefs, he mocked him for being a Christian. Supposedly, he could prove that Christianity was real. The way he did so was by putting his hand on the judge's daughter's eyes and healing her blindness. She was cured, but the emperor did not care at that point. Saint Valentine was condemned to death. Around Valentine's Day, as we know it, was the day Saint Valentine was martyred. That was February 14. On the night before he was put to death, he wrote a letter to Julia, the woman he had cured of her blindness. At the end of the letter, he signed, “Your Valentine. This is allegedly how the Valentine's Day card was first created.

Famous Love Quotes

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ― Dr. Seuss

“I have decided to stick to love...Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

“Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.” ― Bible: New International Version

This is the story of how Valentine’s Day was created. This is a sad story, but there is a deeper meaning in the story. The question I asked myself was what would I do for love or my beliefs? There are many different ways of showing love. So, go show someone love this month: a friend, lover, or family member. Remember, life is short, so don't live in the future or the past; live in the present