Red hearts, red roses and chocolates – St Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! It is that special time of year when people show feelings of love, affection and friendship to the ones they love.
The origin of this celebration of love is not romantic in the traditional sense. St Valentine was a roman priest living in a time when the Emperor Claudius persecuted the Christian Church. Because of this, St Valentine married couples in secret. This didn’t go down well with the Emperor and when St Valentine was eventually caught, before his execution, he signed a note “from your Valentine” which has inspired many romantic missives.
Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin, is one of the three Churches that claims to house his remains. On Valentine’s Day people visit and pray to the Saint to help them find that someone special.
The desire to love and to be loved is a fundamental human need and recently, in Panama, Pope Francis has encouraged young people to “fall in Love”. He said that Jesus is very close to us and concrete and that He offers real love and joy.
Salvation is part of a love story, one in which our own personal stories are interwoven. He reminded us that following God, who infinitely loves us, gives life its meaning. He encourages us to allow ourselves to be loved by God and ‘to make God our treasure’.
To celebrate St Valentine’s Day we extend an invitation to all Parishioners to join us for a special St Valentine’s Mass on Wednesday 13th February at 7.30pm in the Church of the Irish Martyrs, Ballycane. We especially welcome all engaged couples planning to get married this year, those who are recently married and couples celebrating a Wedding Anniversary. Please contact the Parish Office, Sallins Road on 045 879 730 if you have a significant Anniversary this year.