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“Love, thou art absolute sole lord of life and death…” (Richard
Crashaw, “A Hymn to the Name and Honor of the Admirable Sainte
Teresa,” circa 1646)
In Christian culture “martyr” is applied to those
who witness to the triumph of love over death. Central to the cult
of the saints is the notion of sacrifice, a Greek word that speaks
of “making sacred,” the recovery of the sacred character
of creation and human nature. In their martyrdom the Christian
tradition came to see both Valentines as witnesses to compassion,
healing and love. In the stories of their sacrifice, the encounter
with divine love is seen as restoring life to its deepest meaning
as an expression of the love to one another and to the love of
God.
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Reliquary of Head of Saint Valentine
19th century. Église St. Valentin,
Jumièges.
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