February has always been a special month for me for so many reasons. For one, it’s the shortest month on the calendar of which my birthday falls on the last day...sort of...depending on the year. Growing up on the East coast, we looked forward to knowing if we’d have six more weeks of snow or not (to this day, the only good things about snow are being able to make angels and snowmen, racing down a hill on a toboggan or sled, and driving donuts in an empty parking lot).

It was the month of Winter Vacation from school, which made February really short. A couple of famous presidents also had B-days in February, which meant more days off from school (I always wondered why the School Board didn’t just give us kids the entire month off). It was also the start of the Chinese New Year (I was very much into Asian culture as a boy).

But perhaps the best thing about this particular month is the mid way point. February 14^th. Valentine’s Day. For a true Pisces, this is our holiday! More than Spring, it was this day that brought out the romance in me. That sent my heart to flutter for that special maiden (who was usually involved with someone else). For my female friends that had no one special in their life at the time, I would send cards or notes of how much their friendship meant to me; flowers or candy, and perhaps take one out and spend time playing catch-up.

It was also a time that makes me reflect upon the true spirit of the day. After so many generations, the meanings of holidays get lost when overtaken by commercialism. And just as there was a real Saint Nicolas, there was also a true to life Saint Valentine...

Back in the days when ancient Rome was rich with glory and power, they honored their gods with festivals and feasts. February 14^th was the day to honor Juno, goddess of woman and marriage; the Queen of all the Roman gods and goddesses.

The following day, the 15^th, the Ides of February, began the Feast of Lupercalia. The custom was for eager young girls who wished to marry, place slips of paper with their names on them into jars for the equally eager young boys to draw from. The girl chosen by chance would then be partnered with the young man for the duration of the festival, which sometimes lasted an entire year. During that time, they would usually fall in love and want to marry.

Around the time of 270 AD, the bloody reign of Emperor Claudius II took place. Battle after bloody campaign, Claudius the Cruel strove for more territory to add to Rome’s wealth. However, he was discovering that it was getting increasingly difficult to find soldiers to join his military legions. The main reason was that the young men didn’t want to leave their loves and families, so the Emperor cancelled all marriages and engagements throughout Rome thinking this would solve the problem.

Hardly. It didn’t sit well with the people, especially a Roman minister named Valentine who converted to Christianity upon hearing the words of Jesus years before. Valentine and another priest named Marius, not only aided Christian martyrs, but also performed marriages in secret. For this, Valentine was eventually apprehended and dragged before the bloodthirsty Claudius.

Not only did the future Saint have to agree to disavow himself with the Christians and their belief that Jesus was Lord and Savior, as the Emperor was the only true god of the people, but also to agree to stop performing any and all marriages.

This, Valentine could not do, therefore he was condemned to death at the appointed time.

While in prison, people either came to visit Valentine if allowed, else throw flowers and notes of encouragement through the cell bars. One visitor, the jailer’s blind daughter, was a frequent companion to the kindly priest. They would spend hours together in talk, prayer and laughter.

The girl loved Valentine with all her heart and only wished she could gaze upon his countenance before he left this world for the hereafter. Just before the minister of God was to be executed, the Lord, through His servant Valentine, restored the girl’s sight completely. The girl’s father, the jailer, was so overwhelmed by this miracle, he brought his entire family to Valentine’s cell to be converted to Christianity.

In the early hours of February 14, 270 AD, Valentine was martyred. As the sun began to rise, the good priest was taken out into the courtyard where he was beaten by clubs, stoned and finally beheaded. He left a note to the jailer’s daughter, thanking her for her companionship, loyalty and for being his friend. He signed it...