Relics

At church, the priest shared his insights on relics. I came to know why we do what we do - kiss images of saints, touch them or use our handkerchiefs to wipe the statues of Jesus and Mary.

During our pilgrimage, people were in a hurry to line-up just to be able to go near and touch famous relics like the Nativity Star inside the Church of the Nativity.

This silver star, beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity, marks the spot believed to be the Birthplace of Jesus.

A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Shamanism, and many other religions.

The word relic comes from the Latin reliquiae, meaning "remains". A reliquary is a shrine that houses one or more relics.

* First-Class Relics: Items directly associated with the events of Christ's life (manger, cross, etc.), or the physical remains of a saint (a bone, a hair, a limb, etc.). Traditionally, a martyr's relics are often more prized than the relics of other saints. Also, some saints' relics are known for their extraordinary incorruptibility and so would have high regard. Parts of the saint that were significant to that saint's life are more prized relics. For instance, King St. Stephen of Hungary's right forearm is especially important because of his status as a ruler. A famous theologian's head may be his most important relic. (The head of St. Thomas Aquinas was removed by the monks at the Cistercian abbey at Fossanova where he died). If a saint did a lot of travelling then the bones of his feet may be prized. Current Catholic teaching prohibits relics to be divided up into small, unrecognizable parts if they are to be used in liturgy (i.e., as in an altar; see the rubrics listed in Rite Of Dedication of a Church and an Altar).

* Second-Class Relics: An item that the saint wore (a shirt, a glove, etc.) Also included is an item that the saint owned or frequently used, for example, a crucifix, rosary, book etc. Again, an item more important in the saint's life is thus a more important relic.

* Third-Class Relics: Any object that is touched to a first- or second-class relic. Most third-class relics are small pieces of cloth.

The sale of relics is strictly forbidden by the Church.

Below is a stone where the dead body of our Lord was laid.

Saint Jerome declared, "We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are."

Source: Wikipedia