I am the coordinator of our 24-hour Adoration Chapel at our parish. A couple of years ago, I put a notice in our bulletin that said, "On Valentine’s Day there will be a basket in the Adoration Chapel. Please have your children bring a Valentine to Jesus. This is a beautiful way to introduce your children to our chapel."

Then I had a friend make a big red Valentine box, and we placed it in front of the Blessed Sacrament in our chapel. We also placed a heart shaped pink note pad with red pens nearby.

And I wondered if many children would bring Valentines to Jesus.

Ohmigosh! Did they come! By the end of the day, the basket was brimming with Valentines and not just to Jesus, but to Mary and the angels and the saints!

Some of the parish school children or CCD classes must have come by. Their Valentines were more elaborate and carefully decorated.

But my favorite was one that simply said, "Be my Valentine, Jesus. I hope I see you some time. My name is Michelle."

I could relate to her childlike notion to tell God Almighty her name: Hello, Jesus. It’s me. Kathy. Remember?

I was surprised to see that many, many adults scrawled Valentines on the notepaper. Most thanked Jesus for his blessings or requested a favor.

Some left money. Like a $10 bill.

Why do people want to write a Valentine to Jesus? Especially grownups?

Perhaps it’s because it reminds us of who is our first and truest love. And the better we love Him, the better we can love others.

Our Chapel Valentine basket has now become a cherished tradition in our parish.

[Editor's note: if you like, please leave a Valentine's Day love note to Jesus in the comboxes.]