SAINTS
WHY CATHOLICS VENERATE SAINTS AND THEIR RELICS?
Biblical References
1. 2 Kings 13:20-21: “Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.”
2. Acts 19:11-12: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”
3. Revelation 5:8: “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”
MEANING
The veneration of saints and their relics is a practice rooted in the belief that these holy individuals, through their close relationship with God, continue to intercede for the faithful even after their death. Relics, which can be physical remains or objects associated with saints, serve as tangible connections to these holy individuals and their exemplary lives of faith.
MESSAGE
1. Imitation of Holiness: Saints are venerated not for their own sake but because their lives reflect the holiness and grace of God. They serve as role models for living a life dedicated to Christ, demonstrating virtues such as charity, humility, and perseverance in faith.
2. Intercession: Catholics believe that saints, being in the presence of God, can intercede on behalf of the living. This is akin to asking a friend to pray for you, but with the added belief that saints have a special closeness to God.
3. Connection to the Divine: Relics remind the faithful of the physical reality of the saints’ lives and their sacrifices. They are not worshipped but honored as instruments through which God’s grace has been manifested.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
1. Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
– CCC 956: “The intercession of the saints. Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness…they intercede with the Father for us.”
– CCC 957: “Communion with the saints. ‘It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened.’”
2. Council of Trent (1563)
– The Council affirmed the veneration of saints and their relics in its 25th session, decreeing that “the holy bodies of holy martyrs and of others now living with Christ, which were the living members of Christ and the temple of the Holy Ghost, and which are by Him to be raised to eternal life and to be glorified, are to be venerated by the faithful.”
3. Lumen Gentium (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church)
– Lumen Gentium 50: “The saints have been intimately linked to the faithful in the Mystical Body of Christ. They offer prayers and merits to God for the salvation of souls. Their example instructs us, and their love supports us in our weakness.”
4. Code of Canon Law: Canon 1237 emphasizes the tradition of keeping relics of martyrs and other saints under fixed altars, a practice that has been widespread since the fourth century.
5. Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: This document explains that placing relics under an altar signifies the connection between the sacrifice of the saints and the Eucharist, symbolizing the communion of the Church with the sacrifice of Christ.
6. Instruction on Relics in the Church (2017): This document outlines the procedures for the authentication and preservation of relics, ensuring their proper veneration and safeguarding against profanation.
REFLECTION
Catholics venerate saints and their relics as a way to honor their exemplary lives and to seek their intercession. This practice is supported by biblical references and is justified through various official Church documents, which emphasize the importance of relics in connecting the faithful to the divine and inspiring them to live holy lives.