St. Valentine

St. Valentine’s Day remains a popular celebration even though it is not celebrated as a liturgical holy day in the Church.  When it was celebrated in the martyrology, there were three Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, mentioned on February 14th. Two were from later in the 200s.  They were buried on the Flaminian Way.  In fact, the Flaminian Gate was once called the Gate of St. Valentine.  The third St. Valentine was martyred with several companions in North Africa.  

During the Middle Ages, in England and France, it was commonly held that the birds chose mates around February 14.  This is mentioned in a poem by Chaucer which says,

For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne's day Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.

It is likely that customs of writing love letters and exchanging gifts on Saint Valentine's Day came of this understanding.   French and English literature of the time relate accounts of these traditions.  (www.newadvent.com)

Unclean!

The spotless lamb takes the place of the unclean.

We hear in the first reading today of the Lord's instructions to Moses and Aaron regarding those afflicted with leprosy.  The Lord says, 

The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,

and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!' As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.

Thus, those individuals were to visibly identify themselves by keeping their garments rent, head bare and beard muffled.  They also had to audibly identify themselves as well with the unwelcome identifier "Unclean."  Finally, the leper was to separate himself, physically from the rest of the group by living outside the camp.  

In the gospel reading we hear of Jesus' healing of the leper.  The leper, in his act of faith, comes to Jesus and confidently asserts, 

If you wish, you can make me clean.

Jesus touches the unclean man and makes him clean.  Jesus then gives the man two instructions.  First, Jesus tells the man to not tell anyone of this.  I'll come back to this point later.  Jesus also tells the man that he should show himself to the priest and fulfill the proper offering which Moses prescribed for those made clean.  It is interesting to note that the purification offering is quite elaborate as described in Leviticus 14.  The offering includes the following prescription...

Taking one of the male lambs, the priest shall present it as a reparation offering, along with the log of oil, raising them as an elevated offering before the Lord.

Getting back to Jesus' first instruction to the man made clean.  Jesus, as he does after many of his miraculous cures, told the man not to tell anyone anything.  However, the man could not contain himself and publicized the whole matter.  Word traveled and as a result Jesus was mobbed when he tried to enter any town.  As such, Jesus ended up staying outside of the towns.  It is as if Jesus traded places with the man who would have had to remain outside of town himself.   The spotless lamb takes the place of the unclean.   

  

Presentation in the Temple

Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.

Luke 2:29-32

Simeon in the Temple - Rembrandt - 1669

 

First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...
 
In August 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services issued an interim final rule that will require most health insurance plans to cover preventive services for women including recommended contraceptive services without charging a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible.
[...]
After evaluating comments, we have decided to add an additional element to the final rule. Nonprofit employers who, based on religious beliefs, do not currently provide contraceptive coverage in their insurance plan, will be provided an additional year, until August 1, 2013, to comply with the new law. Employers wishing to take advantage of the additional year must certify that they qualify for the delayed implementation. This additional year will allow these organizations more time and flexibility to adapt to this new rule.

What can you do?

On Suffering

Bouguereau - Flagellation -1880

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church...

Colossians 1:24

Holy Name of Jesus

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

For the New Year

Ring Out, Wild Bells

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light;

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson