Weekly Article
Valentine’s Day has come to mean a lot of things these days. But it is not all about “puppy love.” It is about Great and Godly Love. Valentine, the priest who Valentine’s Day is named for, was martyred for the great and godly institution of marriage.
The emperor of Rome at the time, Claudius, passed a law banning marriages. His reason was simple. Men would not volunteer to join his Roman army with wives and girlfriends to leave behind. Valentine knew that God instituted the family and His will included great marriages. So, he kept on performing marriage ceremonies but secretly. He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside.
One night, he did hear footsteps. The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught. He was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.
Valentine tried to stay cheerful while imprisoned, and many young people came to the jail to visit him—actually performing ceremonies while imprisoned. The jailer’s daughter would often visit Valentine in his cell, and they sat and talked for hours. She believed he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing marriage ceremonies. On the day, Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine." That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D.
God’s will does include strong marriages and I hope you are working on having and keeping your marriage healthy. If so, you have probably figured out that a good marriage requires more work than just a sweet card once a year. I hope you and your spouse have a great Valentine’s Day and a wonderful marriage.
Rev. Wayne Marcus, Pastor
Valentine’s Day has come to mean a lot of things these days. But it is not all about “puppy love.” It is about Great and Godly Love. Valentine, the priest who Valentine’s Day is named for, was martyred for the great and godly institution of marriage.
The emperor of Rome at the time, Claudius, passed a law banning marriages. His reason was simple. Men would not volunteer to join his Roman army with wives and girlfriends to leave behind. Valentine knew that God instituted the family and His will included great marriages. So, he kept on performing marriage ceremonies but secretly. He would whisper the words of the ceremony, while listening for soldiers on the steps outside.
One night, he did hear footsteps. The couple he was marrying escaped, but he was caught. He was thrown in jail and sentenced to death.
Valentine tried to stay cheerful while imprisoned, and many young people came to the jail to visit him—actually performing ceremonies while imprisoned. The jailer’s daughter would often visit Valentine in his cell, and they sat and talked for hours. She believed he did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and performing marriage ceremonies. On the day, Valentine was to die, he left her a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine." That note started the custom of exchanging love notes on Valentine’s Day. It was written on the day he died, February 14, 269 A.D.
God’s will does include strong marriages and I hope you are working on having and keeping your marriage healthy. If so, you have probably figured out that a good marriage requires more work than just a sweet card once a year. I hope you and your spouse have a great Valentine’s Day and a wonderful marriage.
Rev. Wayne Marcus, Pastor
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