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February 14th is the 45th day of the year and 320 days to the end of the year (321 in leap years). Today is Valentine’s Day and International Book Giving Day: A global initiative to get books into the hands of children. Today is the Feast of St. Cyril and Methodius, known as the “Apostles to the Slavs,” Sts. Cyril (c. 827–869) and Methodius (c. 815–885) were 9th-century Byzantine Greek brothers known as the “Apostles to the Slavs”. They were missionaries who developed the Glagolitic alphabet to translate the Bible and liturgical texts into Old Church Slavonic, facilitating the spread of Christianity in Central and Eastern Europe. They were the patron saints of the Slavic peoples, Europe. St. Cyril and Methodius – Pray for us!
What exactly do we celebrate on Valentine’s day? Valentine’s day is a holiday dedicated to expressing affection, love, and friendship through gifts, cards and even prayer. This celebration is named after Saint Valentine, a 3rd-century Roman priest who, according to legend, was martyred for defying Emperor Claudius II by marrying couples in secret. For us Christians, it is a day to reflect on the true nature of God as Love and also a day to embrace love as the greatest commandment.
The best way to express our Love for God as the first Commandment declares is to avoid idolatry and affirm our faith in One God. Unlike the case of Jeroboam who led the Israelites astray by introducing them to idol worship: “The king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt (I Kings 12:26-34) But this is not true! We all know that it was not an idol that brought the Israelites out of Egypt. This is the most ungrateful and uncharitable thing anyone can do against his or her Creator.
He went as far setting one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. And this incident became a sin. He also made houses on high places, and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices upon the altar; so he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made.
Instead of making them prosper the idol brought destruction upon them, so much so that they were almost cut off from the face of the earth. As you can see, there is no single gain in idol worship. Idolatry is not just against God’s commandment, it is the channel of destruction and death. May God deliver you from idol worship in Jesus name – Amen!
Today as we celebrate Valentine’s Day, popularly known as world lover’s day, I want to use this medium to remind ourselves what true love is all about. In the gospel of John 15:13 our Lord Jesus Christ told his followers, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” The best form of love is sacrificial love that is self-giving love. As our Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself for those whom He loved we ought to offer ourselves, our time and even our wealth for the good and benefit of others. As you do so and as you continue to show love it shall be well with you and God’s love will abide in you now and forevermore – Amen!
