Catholic Activity: St. Valentine's Day

Suggestions for spiritual practices in the family on St. Valentine's Day.

DIRECTIONS

Every day of the year gives you a special opportunity to instill a great religious appreciation in your children, to broaden their knowledg of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother and the saints, and to strengthen their dedication to the laws of God and the Church. Each day is set aside by the Church to honor a particular event in the life of Our Lord or the Blessed Virgin, or to honor a particular saint. Consulting your religious calendar and one of the many books recounting the lives of the saints you can discuss these events with your children, stressing the qualities in the saints' lives which we might cultivate.

St. Valentine was a priest who was put to death in the year 270. From early times, he was the patron saint of young lovers, but the exact reason why he was so designated has been lost in history. Youngsters can ask him to help them maintain a chaste relationship with those they love.

Activity Source: Catholic Family Handbook, The by Rev. George A. Kelly, Random House, Inc., New York, 1959