Homily for Valentine's Day (Song of songs 8:6-7a; Psalms 34:2-9; John 15:12-17)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, as the world celebrates Valentine's Day with its hearts and flowers, we gather to reflect on a deeper reality – the profound mystery of love that finds its ultimate expression in God Himself. Our readings today invite us to move beyond the commercial sentiments of this day to encounter the transformative power of authentic love.

In our first reading from the Song of Songs, we hear these powerful words: "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave... Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it." These verses from this most poetic book of Scripture speak of a love that is not fleeting or superficial, but permanent and indelible – like a seal impressed upon the heart.

The Song of Songs has long been understood in our Catholic tradition not only as a celebration of human love between spouses, but also as an allegory of Christ's love for His Church. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, in his sermons on this text, reminds us that these passionate words reveal the intensity of God's desire for intimacy with each one of us. When we hear of love "strong as death," we cannot help but think of Christ, whose love led Him to the cross.

Our Psalm today echoes this theme: "I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." This is what love does – it casts out fear, it delivers us, it transforms us. The psalmist invites us to "taste and see that the LORD is good." Love is not merely a concept to be understood intellectually but a reality to be experienced, to be tasted.

And in our Gospel, Jesus gives us the most profound teaching on love: "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." Here, Jesus defines the ultimate measure of love – complete self-gift, even to the point of death.

On this Valentine's Day, we are invited to reflect on these three dimensions of love that our readings present to us:

First, love as a covenant. The seal mentioned in the Song of Songs was an ancient symbol of covenant and commitment. In the ancient world, important documents were sealed with wax impressed by a signet ring, marking them as authentic and binding. When we love as God loves, we make a covenant – not a contract based on what we can get, but a commitment to give ourselves completely to the other.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, reminds us that "love is indeed 'ecstasy'... a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving." This is covenant love – the love that God has for us and the love we are called to have for one another.

Second, love as encounter. Our Psalm speaks of looking to the Lord and being radiant, of tasting and seeing His goodness. Love is not an abstract ideal but a personal encounter. In the Eucharist we are about to celebrate, we will have the most intimate encounter with Divine Love. Christ gives Himself to us under the appearance of bread and wine, entering into communion with us in the most tangible way.

Saint Teresa of Avila understood this deeply when she wrote: "The important thing is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love." Our faith is not primarily about ideas but about relationship – a living, personal encounter with the God who is Love.

Third, love as sacrifice. Jesus defines love in terms of laying down one's life. This is the love we see on the cross – not sentiment, not emotion, but the complete gift of self for the good of the beloved. This sacrificial love stands in stark contrast to much of what our culture celebrates on Valentine's Day.

In a world where love is often confused with pleasure or convenience, Jesus reminds us that true love is measured by sacrifice. When spouses remain faithful through difficulties, when parents rise night after night to care for a child, when adult children tend to aging parents, when friends stand by one another in times of trouble – these are the real valentines, the true expressions of love.

As Saint John Paul II taught us, "Love consists of a commitment which limits one's freedom – it is a giving of the self, and to give oneself means just that: to limit one's freedom on behalf of another."

Dear friends, on this Valentine's Day, I invite you to reflect on how you might grow in these three dimensions of love:

How might you renew your covenant love – with God and with those He has placed in your life?

How might you deepen your encounter with Divine Love in prayer and in the sacraments?

And how might you embrace the sacrificial nature of love, giving yourself more completely to others?

Jesus tells us in our Gospel today that He no longer calls us servants but friends. This is the astonishing truth of our faith – that the God who created the universe desires friendship with us. And He tells us that we remain in His love when we keep His commandments – when we love one another as He has loved us.

As we prepare to receive the Eucharist – the sacrament of Christ's self-giving love – let us ask for the grace to love not merely with words or greeting cards, but with truth and action. Let us pray that the Love who is "strong as death" may be set as a seal upon our hearts, transforming us more and more into His likeness.

For in the end, when all the Valentine's chocolates have been eaten and the flowers have wilted, this divine love remains – stronger than death, more powerful than the grave, a flame that many waters cannot quench.

Amen.