It’s February again, and Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Although widely celebrated in most parts of the world, not everybody knows its origins. In truth, the highly popular and seemingly all-secular feast takes its name from the day of martyrdom of St. Valentine, a third-century Roman priest. In reality, there were other Valentines. Aside from the priest who was martyred in the year 269 in Rome, the other one was a bishop of Interamna (modern Terni, Italy) who also died a martyr in the year 273.

Seeing how Valentine’s is associated with martyrs of the Christian faith, we can say that Valentine’s Day is truly a day of heroism. Thus, it should bring us back to the real essence of love. More than being purely sentimental, love is self-sacrificing and unconditional, giving one’s life for God and for others. Those of us who have experienced what it means to love in this way discover its source: God whose very essence and life is LOVE.

To feel the love of our parents is great. The love of a couple is wonderful. The love among siblings and among parents and children is simply fantastic. The love among friends and colleagues is truly satisfying. Yet we must realize that all of these beautiful loves come from GOD.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day, we tend to reduce the meaning of love to roses, chocolates, candlelight dinners, and other fancy stuff that this pandemic has denied us. Yet, no matter how costly our gift could be, it can never match the priceless love of God for all, exclusively given to each one of us, without exception.

Dear friends and readers, let us try to look at the bigger picture and get out of our comfort zone. If we want to have a meaningful and joyous celebration of Valentine’s Day, let us all look around us and see how we can improve our relationship with others. We don’t have to look far. Maybe we have a family member with whom we didn’t agree on something whom we have now isolated because of our unmanaged anger, a neighbor with whom we had a misunderstanding, or a spouse or child whom we have reprimanded for some reason, etc.

Yes, “charity begins at home” but it shouldn’t stay there. Love cannot be contained. It cannot be limited to our little circle of family and friends; it must overflow to the bigger community. When love is shared with others, it grows, makes a difference, and leaves a mark in the world.

This is the love that Jesus brought to earth from heaven: the love of the Trinity, relationships of love that bring out the “design” of each one. His ardent desire was that all people become one in God’s love. That’s why Christ left us his commandment, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another” (John 13:34).

Do you want the world to be a better place for everyone? More than footprints or fingerprints, let our love leave a mark, a “heart-print,” in every person we meet. Let’s make every day like Valentine’s Day by loving every person that passes our way with the same love in God’s heart. Happy Hearts Day!