Feast of the Holy Relics

Philippians 3:17-4:1; Psalm 122 Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord; Lk 16:1-8

Today, according to the missal of 1962, is the feast of the Holy relics, all relics of the saints guarded and entrusted to the churches of the dioceses.

By relics of the Saints we mean all that remains of them after their death — their bones, their ashes, their clothing and other objects used by them. Enemies of the Church have condemned the cult of the relics of the Saints as being borrowed from pagan customs and without apostolic origin. The decision of the Council of Trent suffices to show the falsehood and bad faith of their reasoning. That Council, in effect, decreed quite otherwise, that the bodies of the martyrs and other Saints, who were the living members of Jesus Christ and the temples of the Holy Spirit, must be honored by the faithful, and that through them God grants a great many benefits to the living. Its decision was based on the usage already established in the first century and which has remained constant in the Church, as well as on the teaching of the Fathers and Councils.

The cult of holy relics is therefore not only permitted, but commanded; it is not only a right, but a duty. Let us note well that the cult of holy relics diverges from pagan practices in that it is supernatural. We do not honor what remains of the Saints for any motive derived from nature, but from motives based on the Faith. If one honors the memory and remains of great men worthy of that appellation, it is regarded as justice; but when one honors the memory and remains of the Saints, it is more than justice, it is the virtue of religion. The final object of the cult of the holy relics is God who sanctifies the Saints; it is Jesus Christ, whose members the Saints are.

Even the words of St. Paul reflect on the cult of the relics as we are told to "observe those who conduct themselves according to the model you have in us."


These sainst are not "enemies of the cross of Christ" like many who are held in honro in our society bur rather they help us remember that our "citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly bodies to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself."

If you think about the honor given to actors and sport athelets and their belongings, such as autograph paraphernalia, how much more should be given to those who follow Christ most perfectly and lead us on the right path back to God.