Special to CosmicTribune.com, February 14, 2025

By Bill Federer, February 14, 2025

The origin of Saint Valentine’s Day goes back to early Christian history.

Today, at a time when governments are increasing their persecution of Christians, it is important to remember that the Church was born into a one-world anti-Christian government — the Roman Empire.

In the Book of Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, the word for “witness” in Greek is “martus,” which is the root word for “martyr.” Eleven of the twelve apostles were martyred, with John boiled in a pot of oil but miraculously surviving and banished to the Island of Patmos.

During the first three centuries of Christianity, there were ten major persecutions, along with innumerable smaller ones. Initially, Romans persecuted Jews and Christians together.

Christians met in catacombs, which were caves carved underground, risking their lives every time they met.

Government agents shut down churches, arrested pastors, sentenced believers to death, even throwing them to the lions in the Colosseum. 64-68 A.D.: Emperor Nero blamed fire in Rome on Christians and began first persecution; 69-79 A.D.: Emperors Vespasian and Titus persecuted Christians, in addition to destroying the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem; 89-96 A.D.: The persecution under Emperor Domitian included boiling the Apostle John in oil then banishing him to Patmos, in addition to hunting down and killing descendants of David. …. 305-313 A.D.: Finally, the persecution under Emperor Galerius.

Roman soldiers raided meetings and arrested believers, dragging them before corrupt judges, and also confiscated and destroyed Christian writings, scriptures and church records. As a result of this, records of the life of Saint Valentine are scant. Passio Marii et Marthae, published in the 5th or 6th century includes a story of the martyrdom of Saint Valentine of Rome. St. Valentine is mentioned in the Legenda Sanctorum by Jacobus de Voragine in 1260 and in the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493. ….

Though several individuals may have had that name, it appears Saint Valentine was either a priest in Rome or a bishop in Terni, central Italy.

In the third century after Christ, the Roman Empire was being invaded by Goths. Claudius II defeated the Goths at the Battle of Naissus, driving them across the Danube River, gaining him the additional name “Gothicus, meaning conqueror of the Goths.

At the same time, the Plague of Cyprian, probably smallpox, broke out killing at its height 5,000 people a day. So many died that the Roman army was depleted of soldiers. Claudius needed more soldiers to fight the invading Goths. He believed that men fought better if they were not married, so he banned traditional marriage in the military.

Valentine risked the Emperor’s wrath by standing up for traditional marriage, secretly marrying soldiers to their brides. ….

Claudius quelled political tensions by requesting the Roman Senate deify Emperor Gallienus, so he would be worshiped along with the other Roman gods. Government mandates were issued forcing citizens to worship them by placing a pinch of incense on a fire before their statues.

It was a simple act, and some Christians caved, but since it was clearly “an act of worship,” others chose rather to die in the Colosseum before they would worship anything other than the one true God. ….

When Claudius II Gothicus demanded that Christians worship pagan idols and statues of deified Emperors, Saint Valentine refused.

The name Valentine is derived from the word “valor,” which means, strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness and personal bravery.

Venerable Bede’s Martyrology, compiled in the 8th century, described St. Valentine being arrested and interrogated by Claudius II Gothicus. Claudius was impressed with Valentine and tried to convert him to paganism to save his life.

Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Claudius was offended. He had Valentine arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to die. While awaiting execution, he preached to guards and other prisoners.

His jailer, Asterius, asked Saint Valentine to pray for his blind daughter. When she miraculously regained her sight, the jailer converted and was baptized, along with his entire family.

Right before his execution, Saint Valentine wrote a note to the jailer’s daughter, encouraging her in the faith, signing it, “from your Valentine.”

Saint Valentine was beaten with clubs and stones, and when that failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269 A.D. ….

In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius is credited with designating February 14th as “Saint Valentine’s Day.” ….

How did St. Valentine’s Day get associated with love?

In the High Middle Ages, circa 1393, Geoffrey Chaucer, called the father of English literature, wrote a poem called Parliament of Foules – Assembly of Fowls, or Birds. “Fowl” is an old word for “bird.”

It it he described how many bird species birds, chose their mates in mid-February:

“For this was Saint Valentine’s day, when every bird of every kind that men can imagine comes to this place to choose his mate.” ….

After Chaucer’s poems, more references appeared in literature associating Saint Valentine’s Day with courtly love, such as John Donne’s Marriage Song; and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Midsummer Night’s Dream.

This eventually developed into the 18th-century English traditions of presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending St. Valentine’s Day greeting cards. ….

Since the Roman persecutions, Christianity has become the most persecuted faith in the world, with over 300 being martyred each day, or one every five minutes, mostly in communist and fundamentalist Islamic countries. ….

Saint Valentine’s love for Christ and his loving example of heroic valor still inspires believers to follow the scriptures:

Matthew 5:44: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.”

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  Forgotten: The harrowing origins of St. Valentine’s Day