by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
This year’s Valentine’s Day has ‘collided’ with Ash Wednesday, which ushers-in the start of a new Lenten Season of the Church, especially Catholics, all over the world.
The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos, His Grace Most Revd Dr Matthew Ishaya Audu, while speaking to our correspondent in Jos, in an interview on Lenten Season, which has coincided with Valentine’s Day, disclosed thus: “As Valentine’s Day coincides with the beginning of Lenten period – that is, “Ash Wednesday,” it means that God loves us so much that he wants us – and has given us – the reason to take the advantage to renew ourselves, renew our relationship with God and avoid sin and do what is right for humanity and God himself.”
According to him, “What will be more meaningful during this Valentine’s Day is that, if you used to do evil, stop; take your wife and children out and show them love, share with them. In that way, you will receive more blessings than to go and take another lady as a girlfriend and abandon your wife and children.”
He observed that, “It’s unfortunate that the world itself is completely different, meaning, the world and everything in the world is good, but we are misusing it with bad things.
The Archbishop stressed that, “Valentine is far more than people should go and get girlfriend and do other things that are not proper.
“Well, you know, with God things are always in place, and the Valentine-coincidence may be because of the challenges we have in the country. God is still telling us, ‘I love you; come, let me be your God,’” he said.
While noting that, even though, it looks to some people as coincidence, Archbishop Matthew Ishaya Audu urged that, “Let us take it as spiritual aspects of it and care and do what is right.
“Valentine’s Day is being celebrated every Feb. 14. It is a time to show appreciation for friends, families, significant others and anyone else you might love.
“The story of Saint Valentine, however, is more difficult to narrate because there are multiple legends of Saint Valentine, and different reliquaries in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Scotland, England and France – all claim to have bones attributed to a Saint Valentine.
“But, the Catholic Church believes that, Feb. 14 commemorates the martyrdom of Saint Valentine, who was a Roman Priest beheaded in the Third Century. No one can agree on exactly what he did or why he was executed.
“Some legends say Valentine was a bishop in Terni, Italy, who healed the sick, including the blind daughter of a prison guard whom he met, while in jail, for practicing Christianity in a pagan world.
“Some say, he was sentenced to death because he tried to convert Emperor Claudius to Christianity, while others say the sentence came because he was caught secretly performing weddings, defying a ban on marriage that had been imposed by the Emperor as a solution to a military recruitment crunch.
”But Saint Valentine’s feast day didn’t used to be a big-to-do – which should please those who think too much is being made of it now.
“All over the world, the Catholic Church dedicated this day of St. Valentine as a Patron saint, and also in Italian city of Terni, Catholics look forward to February 14 as the feast day of St. Valentine, their city’s patron saint, whose relics are interred in their city’s cathedral.
“According to the ancient hagiographical legends, St. Valentine lived between 175 and 245 and was one of the numerous bishop-evangelizers from that era, who heroically devoted themselves to the faith during a period of intense persecutions against Christians.
“St. Valentine came from a noble family and committed himself to the study of the faith from an early age, and was ordained Bishop of Terni, in 197 by St. Felician, the Bishop of Foligno. Valentine was known for his concern and devotion towards the needy. He is also known for working miracles and healing the sick.
“Eventually, he was jailed for refusing to deny Christ under the Roman Emperor. He was sentenced to death. Some believe he acquired his name due to the strength he showed during his martyrdom (the Latin word, valens, means “strong and vigorous”). The martyrdom took place on February 14.
“It has also been observed that, the beginning of the Lenten (fasting) Season, which falls around the same time with Valentine’s Day in 2018, for example, fell on the same day as Ash Wednesday and 2024 the same day as Ash Wednesday.”