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MESSAGE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

"There are four things that are too mysterious for me to understand:

an eagle flying in the sky,

a snake moving on a rock,

a ship finding its way over the sea,

and a man and woman falling in love" (Prov 30:18).

Valentine’s Day reminds us that in this impersonal and material world, there is a great deal of love waiting to be expressed. Today, the trend, especially among youth, is to speak of love in terms of ‘romance’. Romance is like a rainbow, which is temporary. No wonder then that romance, the intoxicant which seems to taste good in the beginning turns out to be short lived. Day-to-day examples have shown that the prominent courses through which one is caught in the snare of romance are attraction to physical beauty, craving for concern and affection and blind imitation of what one sees in the media.

The giant of romance can easily be overwhelming unless it is replaced with true love. To fall in love is quite natural and noble. Genuine love involves physiological, psychological and noetic components. And the growth of these processes must be coordinated and integrated in harmony with and between each other. Love is an experience in inter-subjectivity. Your lover is a subject to be cherished, not an object to be possessed.

You are the mason of your love who alone can make it a reality. If you don’t use adequate raw materials, you can only be romantic. Therefore let your love for someone germinate from your heart and grow into an oak, firmly rooted. Love that transcends romance is the best gift that you can give to your Valentine!

—Sajith Parappallil