My Valentine’s First Love

Whenever we hear of valentine’s day, love comes to our mind. It’s not just love but romantic aspect of love which is most times inundated by eros.

So, she was actually acting usual but in accordance with the times and knowledge in which she was born. Factually, she made the romantic advance on me, her lips trying heavily to caress mine, on the Feb. 14 2010, and she said “be my val?” This was after she had sent a valentine’s letter and signed—”from your Val…Love.” Yes, her name was Love. I used to tease her by calling her “Amica Mea,” My Love.

Nevertheless, on this very day she made that romantic advance, which ended with “be my val?” I felt so sorry for her because I couldn’t respond, for I was more concerned about who Val was. I couldn’t understand how disappointed she was until I understood who Val was because then my countenance was more inquisitive than romantic. When I asked someone who is Val? He said, he is St. Valentine.

Therefore, I went in to enquire the reason why she said, be my Val?

Hmhhh!!! Female teenagers develop faster emotionally in romantic knowledge more than their male counterparts.

Be that as it may, I found out that St. Valentine had many stories surrounding him but these are what remain consistent about this personality:

Born in Rome-Italy, a Christian, a Clergy(either a Priest or a Bishop), a Martyr killed by an emperor in the era of Christian persecution, died in the year Feb. 14 AD 269, because of “Love. Which love?

That was the question I asked myself immediately because I know:
Eros: erotic, passionate love.
Philia: love of friends and equals.
Storge: natural love of parents for children(family)
Agape: love of mankind

After more research I pitied Love more, because she was actually mistaken. St. Valentine never meant an exclusively romantic nor erotic type of love but the later three.

In fact, St Valentine died because either:

He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by emperor Claudius in Rome, and helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner. However, when Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor, he was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stones. When that failed to kill him, he was beheaded.

Or:

While under house arrest of Judge Asterius, and discussing his faith with him, Valentinus (the Latin version of his name) was discussing the validity of Jesus. The judge put Valentinus to the test and brought to him the judge’s adopted blind daughter. Valentinus, praying to God, laid his hands on her eyes and the child’s vision was restored. Having been humbled, the judge, his family, and his forty-four member household of adult family members and servants were baptized.

Valentinus was later arrested again for continuing to evangelize. He was sent to the prefect of Rome, to the emperor Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II) himself. Claudius took a liking to him until Valentinus tried to convince Claudius to embrace Christianity. Claudius refused and condemned Valentinus to death after Val’s refusal to renounce his faith. But before his execution, Saint Valentine wrote a note to Asterius’s daughter signed “FROM YOUR VALENTINE.”

Or:

Valentine defied the order of the emperor Claudius and secretly performed Christian weddings for couples, allowing the husbands involved to escape conscription into the pagan army. This legend claims that soldiers were sparse at this time so this was a big inconvenience to the emperor. Valentine wanted to protect the sanctity of marriage and thus family. The account mentions that in order “to remind these men of their marriage vows and God’s love, Saint Valentine is said to have cut HEARTS from parchment”, giving them to these persecuted Christians.

Whichever it is, it’s possible these are different versions of the same original account and refer to only one person.

Accordingly, it’s certain that St. Valentine stands for marital love in marriage, Saint for healing blind persons, and our love for significant others, spouses, family, and friends. Romance is situated in marital love.

It was for this reason that over 200 years later, around 496 AD, Pope Gelasius established the feast of St. Valentine on Feb. 14 to honor his memory.

What’s the actual reason which you celebrate it today?

Withal, later in years, when Love was already married, I wrote to her, explaining the meaning of “Val” that I found, and how sorry I was that I couldn’t respond then, and that I am responding now. Therefore, now I know that “VAL” OR NO “VAL,” THE HEART KNOWS WHERE IT BELONGS. I belong totally to Christ like St. Valentine.

In the end, in celebrating her marriage, I wrote…

“From Your Val…”
Ndubueze.

You want to know her reply, turn to the next page🤣😂😂😂.

From Your Val,
Fada Henry Charles Umelechi

Truth Series.