Happy Valentine's Day! Today isn't only the feast of St. Valentine, though, it is also the feast of two of the greatest missionaries in Church history, the brothers Cyril and Methodius.
Cyril and Methodius dedicated their entire lives to spreading the Gospel to the people of eastern Europe. They went so far as to create an alphabet and writing system in the Slavonic, the mother of all Slavic languages; to translate the Bible into Slavonic; and to inspire generations of not only Faith, but literature, art, and culture for an entire section of the continent, all in the face of great opposition.
Their story teaches us something about Love, because these two saints truly loved the people to whom they ministered. It teaches us that love is about the details, about noticing the little things and taking action. It teaches us that love, true love, can inspire a flourishing and a flowering in the human person, compelling people to do great and beautiful things. Finally, it teaches us that true love is sacrificial--it calls us to give everything that we have and everything we are for another.
Have a Happy Valentine's Day filled with love for God and love for others!
