If we dig a little deeper, we find the treasure of February 14. Valentine’s Day is filled with boxes of chocolate, tender sentiments in hallmark cards, and an abundance of flowers. All of this attributed to the Greek god Cupid, also known as Eros.

According to popular belief, Valentine was a priest in the third century. He was known for marrying Christian couples and helped them during the Roman persecution.

Pictured above is a shrine honoring Saint Valentine. It is located at Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin. This is a parish staffed by the Carmelite friars. In the 19th century, Pope Gregory XVI donated the bones of Saint Valentine to this parish.

What insight can we take on this feast of love? I point us to a further reflection of Delexit nos (64-69).

Pope Francis talks about the threefold love of God. The love of Jesus is human. The love of Jesus is divine. The love of Jesus is sensible. The Holy Father takes this from Pope Pius XII in his encyclical letter Haurietis Aquas (54-57).

This threefold love is one and the same love. The divine love that Jesus shares in the life of the Trinity is the same love that infused his humanity. To be loved by Jesus is to be fully who we are in him!

Christ loves me personally. Christ loves me divinely, humanly, and sensibly. At the same time, he loves all humanity, every person, with the passionate love. If this is true, this changes the way we must love each other.

Let the love we share on Valentine’s Day be an invitation to wish the greater good of the other. It should be a call to lead the other to Christ and his burning love.