Every year on this 14th day of February, we celebrate courtly love because the Catholic Saint Valentine was killed on this date. How romantic, eh! How this commemoration led to chocolate candy, flowers, jewelry and other romantic offerings being placed in heart shaped boxes seems a little obscure, but it still happens.

     Human beings have the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing. When went to DWU, one of the instructors said that love one one as well. I was skeptical at first. After all, many people go through life without love, and there are others who know only pain because of the wrong kind of love. 

     Love, however is a basic need, and, as it turns out the most important. St. Paul, tells us, through his first letter to the Corinthians that it is the greatest. Jesus told all who would listen to love God, their neighbor, and even their enemies. This is not optional either. Jesus doesn't request that we love, it's a commandment! Love s more than a basic need, it's required.

     So what of those who don't know love? I suspect that these are the same people who take up arms and shoot people at random. The men who shot up the school in Newtown, or the movie house in Aurora, and anyone else who does that sort of thing could only do that because their lives were absent of love. Loving people don't need to kill others, it's just not done! When hatred and anger fill up a heart, it crowds out the love, and bad things happen. If there was more love in the world, there would be no need to debate gun control measures, but sadly, there isn't.

     When God created Man, He knew that it was not good for him to be alone. Adam had plenty of company, dogs, cats, horses, cattle and sheep, just to name a few, and yet God saw that he was alone, and that it wasn't good, so he created Woman! Does this mean every man must have a woman? By no means! Just that if that social need isn't met, it's unhealthy. As a shy person, their are times I prefer to be alone, but when I need to be with other people, it's good to know that they are around! With technology, people are easier to find than ever! God be with you and do the best you can!