Valentine Craft Project - Treasure Box

Valentine's Day is the season for romance, that's certain. But the tradition of valentine giving goes back to the dawn of Christianity to a time of intrigue, danger, and secret societies. In Rome just after the death of Jesus and before Constantine took up the cross as the first Christian Roman empire, followers of the sect of Christianity came under great persecution by the pagan Roman leaders like Diocletian, Nero, and others.

To avoid the bloodthirsty Romans and death at the Circus Maximus, in the jaws of lions and bears, Christians took to the catacombs. This was an underground series of tunnels which ran the length of the city and served as a morgue for the remains of dead Romans.

In this twilight existence, entire Christian communities survived literally under the city overhead. Needless to say, procuring food and other necessities was extremely difficult. Many citizens who lived by day as Romans, smuggled supplies to these refugee Christians. One of them was Valentine (or Valentinius) a Roman priest and physician who brought supplies and ministered to the sick.

When the Roman command discovered Valentine's mission, he was jailed. He suffered great torture himself for his kindness. But through tout his imprisonment, he continued to send secret messages to the faithful, encouraging them with such words as 'be of stout heart' 'do not fear' and 'God is with us'. These he signed fondly as 'your Valentine'.

Valentine was eventually put to death. And in his memory and spirit Christians continued to send each other little notes of encouragement and endearment. Many thousands perished in these tunnels. But many lived and lovingly remembered the good deeds of those who died.

The Holy Roman Catholic Church canonized Valentine and he has been referred to as Saint Valentine ever since. When we send kind notes to one another, we do it, albeit unknowingly, in memory of a gentle, courageous physician who empowered many souls with his kind words.