Saint Valentine was a real person, a priest martyred in the Early Church. According to legend, he helped Roman soldiers marry their sweethearts despite the emperor’s decree forbidding his soldiers to marry so they could focus solely on war and conquest.
While imprisoned for these actions, Father Valentine is said to have befriended the guard’s young daughter. According to tradition, she was blind—and in some accounts also deaf—and unable to receive formal instruction, so Valentine taught her as he was able. On the day of his execution, he was unable to see his young pupil one last time. To say goodbye and offer his blessing, he wrote her a note and signed it, “Your Valentine.” Some versions of the story hold that upon receiving the note, the girl was healed of her afflictions.
Thus, this bond between friends of different generations has inspired the tradition of expressing love for others for centuries thereafter.
Love is For All
With the growing commercialization and secularization surrounding this Catholic feast day, it can be easy to fall into the mindset that this holiday is especially meant for those in romantic relationships. Yet, when we return to the origins of Valentine’s Day, we see that it began with a friendship between a Catholic priest and a young girl who did not share his faith.
While this feast exists in part because of romance—Father Valentine was arrested for helping couples marry—even more so, it is about love itself. Valentine was able to act without fear because of his love for God and others. From the beginning, this feast was not about eros, but about agape.
Modern Valentine’s Day tends to celebrate eros: romantic attraction, emotional intensity, and grand gestures. These things are not bad—but they are an incomplete picture of love. The Christian tradition insists that love is more than chemistry or feeling. Agape is selfless love that chooses the good of the other simply because “this other” exists and is loved by God. It is patient, sacrificial, and often unseen. Saint Valentine’s legacy, then, is not candlelit dinners or red roses, but a reminder that love finds its fullest expression when it reflects the self-giving love of Christ Himself.
Valentines Inspired by the Saints
The Saints are not distant historical figures frozen in stained glass. They are alive in Christ, deeply aware of our struggles, and united to us through the Communion of Saints. Their lives proclaim that holiness is possible in every era, personality, and vocation. While Saint Valentine is widely known for his promotion of love, all the Saints became Saints for their deep love for God and those in their lives.
In light of this truth, if the Saints could send us Valentines today, what would they say? I brainstormed some ideas for Valentines inspired by the Saints—messages our heavenly brothers and sisters might say to us. Of course, their messages would not be romantic, flirtatious, or sentimental—they would be truthful, encouraging, and from the source of an even deeper love: God Himself, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8). While these are not direct quotes from the Saints, they are Valentine’s Day messages inspired by their life and actual words that they expressed.
I a-rose early to pray for you. // Our Lady of Guadalupe
I’m taking the little way . . . straight to your heart. // Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Be not afraid! Be His! // Pope Saint John Paul II
Lose your head for God’s love; it’s totally worth it! // Saint Denis
I hear voices . . . and they say, “God has a plan for you.” // Saint Joan of Arc
No words. Just love. // Saint Joseph
Warning: Restless heart detected. Find rest in Him! // Saint Augustine
Ordered, blessed, and obsessed with God. // Saint Benedict
According to my extensive research, you are loved. // Saint Thomas Aquinas
Lost? Let’s find our way together. // Saint Anthony of Padua
I doubted . . . until Love made it clear He wasn’t giving up on me. // Saint Thomas
Blinded by light and Love . . . now I can see clearly. // Saint Paul
Your faith lights fires—well done! // Saint Lawrence
I’d lose my head to help you. // Saint Thomas More
God alone is enough . . . but you are one of His gifts. // Saint Teresa of Avila
The Truest Valentine of All
The Saints often spoke with surprising joy and humor, not because life was easy, but because they were secure in being loved by God. Their witness reminds us that love is not scarce or fragile—it multiplies when it is given away. This Valentine’s Day, perhaps the most countercultural thing we can do is practice agape: write the note, check on the lonely, forgive the difficult person, pray for someone who may never know it was you.
Saint Valentine did not set out to create a holiday. He simply loved faithfully, quietly, and without fear. That kind of love still changes the world. Agape is, and always will be, the truest Valentine of all.
Grace Bellon is a wife, mom, and high school theology teacher who has spent years walking with young people as they wrestle with faith, identity, and the ache for something more. She writes from the heart of a classroom, the hustle of family life, and the quiet corners where the Lord speaks most tenderly. She believes in miracles, mercy, and the delicate art of balancing home-cooked meals with takeout nights. Her sweetest joys are found in the company of one man who keeps her coffee cup full, her children who keep her laundry baskets fuller, and the Eucharist which fills her heart and soul.
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