Valentine's Day Reflection

Homily

“And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." (Mark 8:22-26)

So I was sitting in my office yesterday trying to think of what the Lord might want me to say in this reflection here today…when Vincia walked in….I didn’t doubt that it was the Lord’s way of inspiring me as she sat down and asked what I was doing… I had the Bible open and I told her I was trying to think up something for this morning…Something to do with Noah, the blind man and perhaps St. Valentine

She asked me….”who is this St. Valentine guy anyway??” and I was like “??? Maybe that would be a good place to start…”

So I go and look it up expecting to find this great, heart-warming story about this guy who really loved a lot of people…..and I search and search and search and find……nothing…..

There is literally NOTHING known about St. Valentine…..all that they can tell us is that he was an ancient Christian Martyr…and that “men respected his name but only God knew his actions.” They don’t know his birthdate, when he died or what he did to become canonized a Saint…..in fact the Church officially removed the feast day of St. Valentine from the calendar in 1969 because he was celebrated more as a legendary figure than an actual religious icon…..

So then how do we come to arrive at this world renowned holiday?? Interestingly enough – LITERATURE – and I’m not just saying that... cause I teach Lit – but legend has it that in the late 1300’s, Geoffrey Chaucer, in one of his writings made this SLIGHT mention of birds coupling off on the feast day of St. Valentine and from there it evolved into the way it is celebrated today….. It’s amazing right?? How Valentine’s day literally evolved from nothing ….it sounds ridiculous – but I think that Valentine’s day is the manifestation of this human need within us to make love tangible….to make love something we can see and touch…..to give love a color……..purple, pink, red…..to give love words – cards, poems, songs…..to give love an object we can hold on to – candy, teddy bears, flowers, valentine cards….

And I think that it was the same for the Blind man in this Gospel….It said that he reached out and touched Jesus – he needed to feel him standing before him …. And he needed to see – He needed his sight…..

What is so hard to understand - is that love is simply NOT something that can ever be seen – you can’t describe it, define it or hold it………..but you just know it’s there – you can feel it………and it’s the same with our faith…….you can’t see it or touch it – but it’s there – and you believe it…..

But God also knows that we’re human – he knows that it is not so easy to believe without seeing….and so that’s why He gives us days like this…….. to celebrate the tangibility of love………and that’s why he gives us Gospel readings like this – where Jesus physically takes mud and touches the man’s eyes……..puts his hands on Him and performs this miracle…………and that’s why God gave us Jesus – to be this living, real – see able, touchable embodiment of love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!! :)