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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Saint Valentine - February 14

Saint Valentine
Martyr
February 14

There are three different Saint Valentines, all martyred. The one most noted was a priest in Rome arrested during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, for marrying young couples and helping Christians at a time when Christianity was highly unpopular. Asked to renounce his faith or be tortured, Saint Valentine refused to reject Jesus, was beaten with clubs and beheaded February 14th around 270.

His remains were buried on the Flaminian Way a principal Roman road just outside the Gate of Saint Valentine, now known as Porta del Popolo. After his burial, his body was exhumed, and a relic of his skull placed in the high altar in the Church at Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Every year on the 14th of February the relic is brought out and crowned with roses.

How Valentine’s Day went from being about a martyr who would rather die then renounce his faith to hearts, flowers, chocolates and Hallmark Cards is not completely clear. Here are three possibilities.

Alban Butler and Francis Douce suggest that Valentine’s Day might have been an attempt to replace the ancient Pagan holiday, Lupercalia, a Roman festival where two male youths dressed in animal skin ran through the city slapping people with goat skin to secure fertility and ward off evil, celebrated February 15, with a Christian holiday. Interesting idea for a Hallmark Card.

Or maybe it was Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem "Parliament of Fowls," written in 1383, this was the first recorded account referring to Valentine's Day. The poem, written in Old English, was quite foreign to me. But I did find a short synopsis that goes something like this, the narrator dreams that he is passing through a beautiful scene in the “dark temple of Venus” when a large flock of birds gatherers to choose mates. The birds have a “Parliamentary,” hence the title, debate while three male eagles try and seduce a female bird. In the end the eagles win the female and the dream ends welcoming spring. A bit of a leap, but Hallmark might make that into a card.

A third possibility brings us back to the martyr, Saint Valentine. Tradition holds that during his captivity he befriended the jailers daughter, Julia who had been blind since birth. He taught her arithmetic, about God, and how to pray. From Saint Valentine's witness, Julia converts to Christianity and is immediately cured of her blindness. The day before Saint Valentine was beheaded, he wrote a note to Julia urging her to stay close to God and signed it, “From your Valentine.” Now that example would make a touching Hallmark card.

Apostleship of Prayer

Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.

A Love Greater Than Death

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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Saint Apollonia Patroness of Dentists and Dental Ailments

February 9

Saint Apollonia

Patron Saint of Dentistry

Patron of Those with Dental Ailments

Today my husband goes to the dentist. It is his practice to go at least once every five years. Usually something happens that necessitates a visit. This time is no different. A lose filling cannot be fixed with Duct Tape or Gorilla Glue so a professional he must seek.

Today, February 9, is the feast day of Saint Apollonia, the patroness of dentists and dental ailments. Saint Apollonia was born in the third century and lived in Alexandria, Egypt. She spent her entire life preaching the word of God. In the year 249 under the reign of Emperor Phillip in Alexandria, a great crowd rose against the Christians, many perished rather than deny Jesus as the true God. Saint Apollonia was the most famous of these martyrs.

An aged virgin, captured and brought before a pagan court to be tried, Saint Apollonia was asked by the judge to state her name. She replied, “I am a Christian and I love and serve the true God.” Enraged by this statement her persecutors turned to torture, smashing and knocking out her teeth. Faced with denying Jesus or being thrown into a raging fire, Saint Apollonia stood firm. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, rather than deny her faith, she jumped into the burning fire herself. Saint Augustine attributed her voluntary martyrdom to the Holy Spirit and compared her sacrifice to that of Samson in the Old Testament, who, with the help of God, pulled down the pillars of the Temple in Jerusalem, killing himself and all of his Philistine captors.

The more I pray to God for guidance to do His will, the more I am shown a little glimpse of His presence in the life of my family. Today, the Feast of Saint Apollonia, God again gave me a subtle reminder that He and His heavenly Saints and Angels truly do walk with my family daily.

Saint Apollonia, Pray for Us.

This program is produced by
RealCatholicTV.com

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Art
Saint Apollonia by Francisco de Zurbaran
Sources
http://www.americancatholic.org
Lives of the Saints, Fr. Alban Butler
Treasurey of Women Saints, Edited by Bart Tesoriero
http://www.newadvent.org

Friday, February 5, 2010

Saint Agatha Patron Saint of Those Suffering with Breast Cancer

Saint Agatha

February 5

Patron Saint of Those
with Breast Cancer and Breast Disease

Although we have little evidence of the legendary life of Saint Agatha she is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs. The only actual facts we have is that she was born in Sicily and died a martyr.

Tradition and legend tell us that she was born of a noble family in Sicily in the third century and took vows of virginity at a young age. When she was pursued by a pagan consul named Quintianus, she rejected him. Quintianus had Saint Agatha arrested for being a Christian. He sent her to live in a brothel to try and corrupt her, but her faith did not waiver. She was sent back to Quintainus for torture where he ordered her to be stretched on a rack and have her breasts cut off. Quintainus refused her medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter. When she was tortured again, she died after saying a final prayer: “Lord, my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Receive now my soul.”

Patience to Suffer