Our society, driven by the greetings card industry and other merchants, insists that family members must declare their love not only on anniversaries, Mother's Day, and Father's Day, but also on Saint Valentine's Day. However, God's people reject this notion and do not observe Saint Valentine's Day. Historically, two notable Saint Valentines, a Roman priest and the Bishop of Terni, are associated with February 14, though their connection to romance is unclear and based on later apocryphal accounts. The celebration of this day traces back to ancient Roman fertility festivals, the Faunalia on February 13 and the Lupercalia on February 15, which included peculiar rituals and were deeply significant in Roman culture. Despite the arrival of Christianity, the Lupercalia persisted until AD 494, when Pope Gelasius I transformed it into a different feast, eventually leading to February 14 being dedicated to the two Saint Valentines. God's warnings to His people emphasize adhering to His ways and feasts, avoiding pagan practices. Therefore, those called into God's church should not keep Saint Valentine's Day, recognizing it as an ancient pagan festival with a thin Christian overlay. Instead, we must joyfully observe God's holy days, showing true love for Him by keeping His commandments. For most adults in God's church, avoiding Valentine's Day celebrations is straightforward, often requiring just a polite refusal. Younger children, however, may need parental support to navigate school activities related to this day, ensuring they are not entangled in the world's holidays.

Today, while God's people worship Him in spirit and truth on His Sabbath, the world's people celebrate the pagan holiday of Valentine's Day in flesh and lies and lust. Sexual immorality has been a core element of this observance since its origins, which predate Christianity. In ancient Rome, February 14 marked the start of a sensuous festival honoring Lupercus, a deified hero-hunter of wolves, encouraging young people to indulge in licentious acts. This festival, known as Lupercalia, involved rituals where priests, called Luperci, struck women with goat skin strips to purportedly remove infertility, connecting the day to purification and the month of February. Lupercalia was also tied to the she-wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome, and became associated with Venus, goddess of sexual love, and her son Cupid, who instilled passion with arrows. This lewd festival of lustful love was immensely popular in Rome, much as Valentine's Day remains today, though less overtly sexual. In the 5th century AD, Roman church leaders incorporated Lupercalia into the church due to its popularity among the pagan populace, renaming it Saint Valentine's Day and attempting to infuse it with Christian value, though excluding the most extreme sensual practices. In AD 496, Pope Gelasius officially Christianized Lupercalia, shifting its observance to February 14 and focusing on Christian saints instead of pagan deities. People drew lots for valentines with saints' names, but with the rise of Protestantism, the focus on saints diminished, and the celebration reverted to drawing names of ordinary young men and women, retaining its pagan essence with symbols like Cupid and arrowed hearts. Despite efforts to blend pagan customs with Christian practices, the day remains rooted in its Roman origins, reflecting a persistent apathy toward pure worship and contributing to moral decay through the mixing of paganism with Christianity.

In stark contrast to true worship of God in spirit and truth, many in this world celebrate holidays like Saint Valentine's Day with fleshly practices and lust, directly opposing the principles of agape love. This celebration, rooted in sexual immorality, stands in defiance of God's commandments. Historically, Valentine's Day traces back to pre-Christian times, originating with the Roman festival of Lupercalia, celebrated on February 14 and 15, honoring Lupercus, a deified hunter linked to Nimrod, a figure of defiance against the Lord. This sensuous festival encouraged licentious acts among young Romans, and despite its pagan roots, it was incorporated into Christianity in the fifth century AD by the Catholic Church through syncretism, renaming it Saint Valentine's Day while retaining much of its original character. The Lupercalia involved crude rituals, including priests running through Rome in goatskin girdles, striking women with strips called februa to supposedly remove infertility, connecting the day to purification and sexual availability. Linked with Venus, the goddess of sexual love, and her son Cupid, the festival became a feast of lust, with imagery of Cupid shooting arrows into hearts persisting into modern times on Valentine's cards and decor. Though less overtly sexual today, the celebration remains as popular as ever. Through syncretism, the Catholic Church, under Pope Gelasius in AD 496, officially Christianized Lupercalia, shifting its observance to February 14 and redirecting focus to Christian saints. Despite efforts to overlay Christian elements, the day retained its pagan essence, with practices like drawing lots for Valentines evolving over time but maintaining their secular and sensual nature, especially after the Protestant Reformation diminished the focus on saints. Even now, Cupid and arrowed hearts remain central symbols, showing the celebration's unchanged core as a popular, pagan-rooted event. Valentine's Day, unmentioned in the Bible, reflects a secularized culture indifferent to its heathen origins, prioritizing enjoyment over truth. This apathy and moral decay result from diluting truth and appealing to base desires, falling far short of worshipping the Father in spirit and truth as He desires.