6th OT, Examples of Love this Valentine’s Day, 2023
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021423.cfm
On this Valentine’s Day, we have 4 wonderful examples of people who loved God in unique ways.
First, there’s Noah, who scripture tells us, walked with God…a lovely image. We are told he was a righteous man, blameless among the people. He wasn’t perfect, but he loved God wholeheartedly. When we hear how upset and discouraged God was with the rest of humanity, it was Noah who found favor in God’s eyes because of Noah’s persistent faith and loving obedience to God.
Noah must have been a patient man. Imagine explaining over and over again, especially to his wife and 3 sons, why he was building such a monstrous boat that he was going to fill with people and animals, in preparation for a flood when there wasn’t a cloud in the sky!
In reality, the story of Noah and the flood is really a love story of God’s faithfulness. God will never give up on us. Sin will never win out, and a new day will always dawn. God blessed and saved Noah, just as God will faithfully bless and protect those who also walk with, and obey, God.
Second and third, today we celebrate Sts. Cyril and Methodius, 2 brothers of Greek birth who became apostles and converted the people of the Slavic nations to Christianity. These saints created the first Slavic alphabet in order to translate Greek religious texts into the native language of the people they served. Because of this, the people could then worship God in their own language. Cyril and Methodius were ridiculed for doing this by the rulers of those nations, and even by some clergy, but persisted in their call because they firmly believed in the importance of celebrating liturgy in one’s own language. As we celebrate Mass in our own language, perhaps we can reflect on our participation in the liturgy. Has our participation been active and has our love for God grown through our participation?
Lastly this day, we have the example of St. Valentine himself. He was a priest in the 3rd century which was a time of much persecution of Christians. Valentine openly defied the emperor and comforted persecuted martyrs. When arrested, he refused to renounce his faith. While imprisoned, he was told one of the magistrate’s daughters was blind. Valentine cured her and converted the whole family. For this, the emperor beheaded him. Legend has it that Valentine sent the girl a farewell note, signing it ‘from your Valentine’.
St. Valentine might be a little surprised if he saw how we remember him today. Perhaps the real meaning of this day gets obscured. Valentine shows us that love comes in many forms: comforting the sick, helping a friend, visiting the homebound. We can celebrate his feast today by telling someone that we love them and doing a kind deed. Above all else, we can thank God with all our heart for all the love God has bestowed on us.
Noah, Cyril and Methodius, and St. Valentine each showed love, true love, by sacrificing their lives for the love of God and God’s people. May they each inspire us to do the same today and every day.
