Learning About Love With St. ValentineSample

Having a Kind Heart

Young Valentine lived long ago

Before Vivaldi or van Gogh.

The town of Terni was his home,

In Italy—just north of Rome.

The Roman Empire was quite mean

Much meaner than you’ve ever seen!

But Val—he had a kind, kind heart.

His care for all set him apart.

St. Valentine was known for having a kind heart. What does it mean to be kind? How does it make you feel when someone is kind to you?

Jesus tells us in the Bible that we should treat others the same way we would like to be treated—with kindness—even if those same people are not nice to us. St. Valentine lived in the Roman Empire, where people were known for being “meaner than you’ve ever seen!” And yet St. Valentine treated everyone with kindness, because that is the way he would have wanted to be treated. He chose kindness, even when it was difficult.

Being kind to ALL people can sometimes be hard for us. It is easy to be kind to those who are kind to us, but what about when they aren’t? Think of a time when someone wasn’t kind to you. What did you do or say in that situation? Are there things you could have done in that moment to choose kindness?

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the example of St. Valentine and his kind heart! Please help me to be kind even when others aren’t kind to me.

Activity: Draw a picture of what you think a kind heart looks like. What sorts of things would fill a kind heart? Flowers, smiles, sunshine, joy? Include all of them in your picture!