After the valentine day , what next ?

Introduction

Everyone loves celebrating. When they are occasions to do so people do it overwhelmingly. I had a great time celebrating valentine with my kids in school . We took out time to have photographs and I told them stories of how the celebration begun .
For me it was quite a useful fun time with my kids . But more than that , I took time and reflected on the lose way of celebrating valentine in Nigeria , hence the motivation of this write up .

It was Socratics one of the philosophers who once opined that an unexamined life is not worth living . There’s also an Africa adage that holds that , what you can’t do in the day light don’t do it even in darkness . If these two sayings have anything to go by , then it’s the lessons that the feast or celebration of valentine has brought to the world .
While I may not generalize situations , I am inclined to hold the opinion that many a people have lost the true meaning of what valentine is ; in their celebrations and mood of living .
As a pastor of souls , I have always upheld the moral principle that morality is best what you do in the dark, when no eyes sees you .
Can you be proud of all you did on valentine day in the name of its celebration? Certainly a vast majority wouldn’t be .
This write is aimed at upholding your dignity as a person in the midst of any kind of celebration. Never do what you will regret when you are in your normal senses .

What is valentine ? I am ashamed of valentine !

Many Folks especially Christian’s feel make the mistake of imagining that today is the feast of St. Valentine in the Church. But, this is not so. Rather, for church goers today is the memorial of SS. Cyril and Methodius, two bishops, who are considered the patron saints of Western Europe.
There’s an unpopular side of a Catholic priest, who defiled the emperor's orders and secretly married couples who were in love, to spare the husband of going to war, he was called Valentine. He later became a saint in the Catholic Church , however , he is not inserted in the Church's Liturgical celebration of today. However, his reputation as an advocate of conjugal love and marital bliss, earned him a universal recognition.
He was beheaded by Emperor Claudius II of Gothicus on Feb. 14, 270AD, and this date has since remained a special day for married couples, who venerate him, in appreciation of his promotion of marital love.

THE WORLD TODAY : the missing identity

Looking at the situation in our world today and the various implications, meanings, connotations and abuses that have been associated with this day of love, I don't think that Fr. Valentine would be proud of how his special innocent act of goodwill, has given justification to all sorts of moral decadence, delinquencies and misrepresentations in many quarters. Today, St. Valentine's Day, has become a day of being laid, a day where all forms of sexual activities are considered to be censored. A day when most girls are being initiated into womanhood, through the lost of their virginity. A day when people do all sort of despicable things inorder to prove their love, and a day in which those without a lover feel miserable and worse about their condition. These I have mentioned are found here in Africa . These are verifiable ; these are true . I may not have traveled a lot , but I believe that in the advance world too , they are some excesses that might need some corrections .

one of the leading causes of these abuses, which has darkened the celebration of this day of love is the crave and craze to prove with concrete signs, the intangible emotions of love between two persons. Hence, out of a great need for acceptance, fueled by a low sense of self esteem, many people fall prey at this period to all sorts of temptations. What a cheap way to lose a preserved dignity .

The way forward :

I encourage you my dear brothers and sisters, do not fall into evil temptations because you want to prove yourself to someone.

Do not live your life, trying to please someone else. Do not offend your God because you want to make someone happy.
You don't have to lower your morals because you want to show that your love is authentic. Walk away from negative tempters and shallow minded people, who demands for a sign as a proof of love.
No matter what you do, you cannot proof love.
True love is divine and nothing can ignite the heart, if God does not illumine it. So, if you are looking for genuine love and if you want to celebrate love well, then pray to God for it, anchor your love on him and join the church's valentine's prayer of love in our families.

Spending my Valentine day in the school, We ended up in great photo graphs , that which you see here

lessons from St valentine’s prayer

Lord Jesus, as we celebrate St. Valentine's Day today, we ask that you may rekindle and rejuvenate the love that exists between couples, so that it may burn anew all the days of their lives together. Amen

HAPPY NEW WEEK AND HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY BELOVED FRIENDS