The Gospel of John 15:9-17 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
Let us pray the Collect for St. Valentine: Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that we who keep the birthday of thy blessed Martyr Valentine may be delivered by his prayers from all the ills that hang over us. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. This Gospel of John 15:9–17, Is one of those texts where love, obedience, friendship, and mission blend together into a single unique passage. This Gospel is very fitting for the Feast of St. Valentine. As a priest, he visited imprisoned Christians, offering comfort, sacraments, and encouragement, He healed the blind. He ministered to the persecuted One tradition says he restored sight to the daughter of his jailer. His final note to her was signed, “from your Valentine”, a detail that later fed the romantic.
St. Valentine lived in a world where Christian faith was dangerous, yet he remained rooted in Christ’s love. His ministry to persecuted believers, his courage in the face of imperial pressure, and his fidelity unto death all reveal a man who did not merely admire Christ’s love but lived it. St. Valentine was the Saint of Courageous Love. He truly believed in abiding in the Love of Christ. To “abide” in that love is not passive. It’s a dwelling, a rootedness, a way of being that shapes every other relationship. St. Valentine embodied, courageous love in the face of persecution, faithfulness to Christ above all earthly powers, healing and compassion toward the vulnerable, blessing of relationships grounded in God’s love, and Joyful defiance of injustice and fear. The cultural customs of Valentine’s Day, notes, affection, tokens of love, are distant echoes of Saint Valentin’s legacy not because of romance, but because he embodied the Gospel’s call to love with courage, tenderness, and fidelity. His life continues to bear fruit whenever Christians choose, compassion over fear, fidelity over convenience, and sacrificial love over self-protection. The passage ends where it began: “Love one another.” Everything circles back to love. Love is the command, the identity, the mission, the fruit, the joy, the abiding place. It is the beginning and the end of discipleship. St. Valentine’s life reminds us that love—real love—is not fragile. It is bold, resilient, and holy. A Prayer Inspired by St. Valentine God of steadfast love, You strengthened your servant Valentine to bear witness to Christ with courage and compassion. Grant that we, too, may love with a fearless heart— honoring the dignity of every person, blessing the relationships entrusted to us, and living with the joy that comes from your Spirit. May our love be patient, generous, and true, reflecting the love of Christ who laid down his life for his friends. Amen
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Reflections by Bob 