It was a cruel and vicious Roman Emperor Claudius II, as legend has it, who jailed and executed saint and martyr Valentine in 269 AD. Valentine was remembered as a young priest who stood for his belief in Christian marriage and performed secret weddings against the orders of the emperor who wanted many more unmarried men in his army because they were regarded to be better fighters. Valentine died for his convictions like millions of Christians and people of commitment who take a stand against powerful oppressors and sacrifice themselves for justice, truth, freedom and human rights. But perhaps Valentine’s Day is no longer for many a celebration of those mighty moral values and may have long lost its meaning as a day recognizing courageous virtue of those bravely standing for beliefs and principles.
 
Nowadays at its best, Valentine’s is a day of special acknowledgement of true friendship, loyalty and faithfulness between friends and self-sacrificing love between married couples. In its harmless fun and frolics mode, it might have been a day of romantic messages, some serious, others less so. It was hopefully a day for friends, young and old, to celebrate and express their affection, emotional attraction and unselfish love for each other. Probably the supermarkets and famous food stores did well in the provision of “romantic dinners for two”. At its worst, Valentine’s became a day for hedonistic and lustful excess to gratify animal urges and sexual desires. But here too was a definite chance for a good Christian witness by young Catholics that showed that like others one can certainly enjoy sunshine, enjoyment and fun while seeing that Son-Light, salt-flavour and wholesome fun are our way of getting things done. So I hope you had a nice time, spent some money but not too foolishly on those nice symbols of your special love for someone, indeed that you had fun, but didn’t lose sight of things that nourish real love of the kind that loves others as much as one loves oneself.
 
There are modern day “Valentine Heroes” who are true to the highest calling to be faithful to oneself, one’s principles and stand for truth, integrity and honesty.
 
There are always true “Valentine Heroes”, who are an inspiration and role model to those with the courage to choose to live a truly honest life of unshakable values.
 
Look around; maybe they are still to be found among us too. All of us should admire, support and imitate them when we recognise them. They start out as ordinary mortals like us but rise to heroic heights of virtue. They develop a love higher, greater, more pure and unselfish than most of us can imagine. The love these heroes have is not for mere pleasure or self-gratification, but only to give of themselves daily for the welfare of others, for the community, for those who can give no return, no payback. This is the greatest love of all – “to lay down one’s life for a friend”. Now who first said that?
 

Candlemas is a Christian holiday following on from Christmas, though not a public holiday as is the Nativity of The Lord, being celebrated annually on February 2 marking various occasions according to Christian belief, primarily with a focus on Jesus’ early life being known in many eastern churches as the “Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple” or  the “Meeting of the Lord” which remembers the Child Jesus making his first entry into the Temple and also celebrates the Virgin Mary’s purification at the “Feast for the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (mainly in western Catholic churches). Many Christians believe that Jesus’ mother Mary presented him to God at the Temple in Jerusalem after observing the traditional 40-day period of purification (of mothers) following his birth. According to The Gospel account of Luke, a Jewish man named Simeon held the baby in his arms and said that he would be a light for the Gentiles (Luke 2:32). It is for this reason that this event is called Candlemas.

Candlemas occurs at a period between the December solstice and the March equinox, so many people traditionally marked that time of the year as winter’s “halfway point” while waiting for the spring. In our northern hemisphere the seasonal changes in the United Kingdom at Candlemas, according to folklore, see the badger emerging to test the weather. Snowdrops (galanthas nivalis) are known as Candlemas Bells blooming early in the year, even before Candlemas. Some varieties bloom all winter.  Some once believed that these flowers should not be brought into the house prior to Candlemas but in more recent times it has been believed that these flowers purify a home. According to folklore again, an angel helped these Candlemas bells to bloom and pointed them as a sign of hope to Eve, who wept in repentance and in despair over the cold and death that entered the world. Many Christians see the flower as a symbol of Jesus Christ being hope for the world. Candles that are lit during Candlemas also symbolize Jesus as the “light of the world”.

Many Christians consider Jesus as the “Light of the World” so it is fitting that by the time you have read this candles will have been blessed on this day and that a candle-lit procession usually precedes the celebration of Holy Mass on that day. In some parts of Europe such as France, it is traditional to eat crepes on Candlemas. Each family member prepares and cooks a crepe while holding a coin in hand. This is believed to assure wealth and happiness until the next Candlemas celebration – a bit like Christmas pudding sixpences. In Spanish speaking countries Candlemas is also known as Candelaria. Whoever finds baby figures hidden inside the Rosca de Reyes (Kings’ Cake) on Epiphany on January 6 is obliged to bring food to a gathering held on February 2. Many Orthodox and Catholic Christians celebrate this event by bringing beeswax candles to their local church and having for these candles or others provided at the church blessed to be used in the church or at home. Some Christians observe the practice of leaving Christmas Cribs up in the church until Candlemas