Happy Valentine’s Day – Saint Valentine’s Day! In Latin America today is very often called Día de la Amistad, Friendship Day. Happy Friendship Day! I like that. It broadens the sense of the day so it is not some superficial romantic celebration … or a market ploy to sell chocolates!
It said that the Bishop Valentine was martyred in Rome because he had a ministry of celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage for Christian Soldiers serving in the Roman Army … where men were expected to be promiscuous and polygamous.
We are made for profound relationship - with God and one another, as part of God’s vision and his plan. True relationship, true love is really the presence of God, an experience of Christ among us.
We hear today of Jesus curing a man who is deaf and mute, opening him to communication, to deeper relationship. The miracle highlights what Jesus was doing with the disciples – touching their hearts and transforming them to hear the Word, and opening their mouths to proclaim it!
Lord, help us to be aware of how you want to live in us through the sacredness of love! It is real. Jesus gave his life so this love would breakthrough hatred and our own blindness, so we would be able to live it, to share it.
Here is a sweet way to celebrate Friendship Day: for the rest of the day, really try to be attentive as you look at people so you can let yourself see Jesus in each one!
