I woke up this morning thinking about this holiday filled with roses, chocolate and Tiffany's diamonds. Learning more about this holiday brought a new spin to things for me (thanks to David Perry & google)
HISTORY:
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families.
As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270.
St. Valentine fought for the sanctity of marriage & love. We Americans have cheapened it to a blind date and a stuffed animal. Let us reflect on this love to be portrayed and fought for on this day.
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February 14, 2008
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9 comments:
Lenchik and I were just discussing this very thing this morning!
I love it.
Me too, what an amazing story and tragic. Sad what we do to holidays like this and Christmas and Easter and lose the real meaning.
I've been thinking lately about how we (I'm speaking of men in particular) often use holidays like Valentine's Day to make up for what we perceive as lacking the other 364 days of the year. While the holiday is not bad in and of itself, all the trappings seem to cloud the meaning. Thanks for sharing the history of this holiday.
I can't help but think that many men live with a general sense of inadequacy when it comes to how they love their wives and what they bring to the table. I know it's not true for all, but I would guess that many men are motivated less by love on Valentine's Day than by shame. This is encouraged by our pop culture and media. The message is: "You can make up for your lack of love toward your wife by buying her this or taking her there." Is it really love? I don't know. I guess it's impossible to make generalizations. But, I wonder these things. I'd be interested to hear a woman's perspective.
And like a herd of blind sheep peoople in the entire nation follow the call to buy heart-shaped candy and pink fluff...
Eric makes a great point and my mom raised us that way: "If you don't want to love me all year round, I dont' want candy on Mother's Day!" Obviously, that point came with a smirk.
I'm not sure if it's the sense of inadequacy or more so the lack of creativity and connectedness to their own heart which prevents manhood to step up to the plate here as well. Retail America (and elsewhere) will gladly take some of the "creative" elements in their hands and offer some solutions.
I may sound critical and don't want to demean this holiday - at the same time the pink color in stores just blinded me for weeks...well but the Easter Holiday is coming up, folks! New colors, new merchandise.
TRUTH, LOVE and PEACE to you all.
I don't know if I can offer an answer, but I can offer a female perspective. I don't agree with the slogan "You can make up for your lack of love toward your wife by buying her this or taking her there."
Some women may feel loved by the gifts you buy, but if that is all that you have to offer I would say that's quite a sad relationship. I'm would perfer: a hand made card that didn't even cost a penny, a "I think that your beautiful honey" or a heart felt conversation.
Relationships can not be treated like dogs and cats, we can't neglect them and then think that they will come and rub up against our legs at our slightest glance.
We are much more complex creatures.
"Relationships can not be treated like dogs and cats, we can't neglect them and then think that they will come and rub up against our legs at our slightest glance.
We are much more complex creatures."
Hilarious and true. Thanks for your thoughts.
This is fun (all these comments) and since I have left 2, hey why not one more!?
I agree with Toby and Eric and Layne. Now being in a relationship I find Feb. 14th seems to be used as a reason for retailers (namely Hallmark and flower shops) to make a killing. If a relationship is really based on true love and friendship then neither party (especially men who seem to be the ones targeted to "prove their love") feels compelled to try to measure up to some standard of romance created by God knows who.
I also think pink and red is a pretty harsh color combo, you won't find me wearing it ever. Though I did buy Valentine themed cupcakes, red napkins and pink flowers for tonight. Yikes, I am a sucker/hypocrite. Oh well : )
I find it most interesting that two single men were the ones upholding the sanctity of marriage. Though they themselves were not married, they deemed it necessary to continue pursuing something that is one of the apex's to the kingdom of heaven on earth.
We can presume about every persons motives all day long, and more than likely misappropriate these motives all day long, or we can be reminded of the sacrifice two people made for an ideal that they themselves did not experience in their own personal lives.
What would it look like if men in general took to heart the cares of both single, and non-single women; women they knew, and those they did not. How would this kind of selfless love, that these two historic men exemplified, play out in our lives today? Its easy to criticize the lack of inspiration, and possible disconnectedness with men today, it might be harder for us, myself included, to take a hard glimpse at our own proclivities to think, speak, and observe women in an incorrect way and what the consequences of that would have on the positive/negative influence of love in our relationships, and in the world in general.
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