Australian Catholic parishes and schools are being encouraged to celebrate St Valentine’s Day by “honouring marriage as life-long romantic love”.
The Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council (ACMFC) has produced a resource that provides practical suggestions for parishes and schools to use on the day to affirm the value of romantic love within marriage.
As part of the resource, Chairman of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life, Bishop Eugene Hurley, writes about the importance of celebrating the feast day.
“In a culture increasingly intolerant of Christian values and beliefs, feasts that have captured the imagination of the secular community, like St Valentine’s Day, represent a unique opportunity for the Church,” he writes.
“It is an opportunity for us to proclaim our beliefs in a way that is affirming and life-giving to deeply held values that are shared by many in the wider community. “
“In doing so, we highlight the positive good such values have and reinforce the need to protect them for the benefit of the whole community.”
Co-Chairs of ACMFC, Ron and Mavis Pirola, told The Record the resource aims to “re-Christianise” the feast of St Valentine.
“We seek to bring back into focus the Christian origins of what has become a very commercialised, secular celebration,” they said.
“Sales for cards for ‘Valentine’s Day’ are the second highest for any one day. Kits like this send a public message that the Church is relevant and encourage us to integrate faith and life.”
The resource, which was first launched in 2010, provides liturgical readings, homily notes, and a blessing for married couples suggested for use on February 9.
The theme of this year’s kit is growing in love through couple prayer. It includes tips for married couples, such as making a “commitment to set aside 10 minutes a day to share the highs and lows together” rather than giving the standard gifts of flowers or chocolates.
The six-page resource ends with advice on building a marriage-friendly community by “cultivating an affirming and empowering mentality towards married couples”.
Mr and Mrs Pirola said married couples are a tremendous resource in proclaiming the Gospel to the world.
“Married couples are a key resource in evangelisation because they are natural and attractive examples of God’s love in our lives,” the couple said.
“Couples are everywhere; they are in the marketplace. People may never read God’s word but they will know many people in strong marriages.”
It is also the human imperfections present in marriages that resonate with society, the Pirolas said.
“All marriages, all human relationships, carry an element of brokenness,” they said.
“When children see their parents still love each other despite their obvious differences, they start to learn what love is really all about.”
The resources are available at: http://www.acmfc.org.au/st-valentines-day-2014