St Valentine's Day (What is Love?)

                                        Key Stage 2 & 3

 

How many of you here received a card or gift of LOVE today?(I wonder how many won’t admit it?)

How many of you GAVE a gift of love today to someone? (That’s wonderful)

 

The Legend of St Valentine.

 

It is thought by some that this day was introduced to stand in place of a Roman pagan festival dedicated to the goddess Juno. She was the goddess of love and marriage.

But although the church recognises that a man called Valentine, a priest, was executed for his Christian beliefs in Rome possibly on 14 Feb 269A.D. no-one is really certain about the details of his life.

However many legends have sprung up to say he was a priest who believed in obeying God rather than the emperor.

It was said that Emperor Claudius II (Claudius the Cruel) wanted more men to go to war, and the reason they weren’t signing up was because they wanted to stay behind with their wives and sweethearts. Besides it was thought when a soldier was in love he made a poor soldier. So the emperor passed a law forbidding any more marriages or engagements. Valentine took no notice of the emperor, and secretly continued to marry couples who were in love, for he believed that was God’s will.

However he was later found out and arrested, and while he was in prison, many letters, flowers and  cards of support from people believing in love were thrown into the window of his cell. He also made a real friend in prison, who happened to be the daughter of the prison guard; they used to talk for hours, and on the night before he died, he is said to have sent her a letter. It was signed,

With love from your Valentine. It was said that he was beaten with clubs the next day, and his head was cut off.

 

Children’s version of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians Chapter 13

I may be able to tell the funniest jokes ever, but if I have no love, my voice will be like a loud and ugly foghorn on a foggy night or even a fire alarm going off during a very quiet lesson.

I may say all the right things and know every answer that the teacher asks; I may be the hardest working pupil the teacher has ever known, but if I have no love, I am nothing.

I may be a very generous person, and be tidy and clean and do all my homework immediately when I get in from school; I may be captain of the school team and be a person others admire because I’m not afraid to stand up to bullies, but if I have no love, this does me no good at all.

Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous ; it does not show-off’ it isn’t proud; it is not rude, ill-mannered; selfish or irritable; Love does not keep a list of the wrongs others do; love is not happy with wickedness and evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up, it never fails.

Hold up the symbols of St Valentine:

We might even say that love is NOT

The love that Jesus taught about was TOUGH love.

It was the HARDEST and MOST DIFFICULT love possible.