Relics are one way in which God helps us in our bodily humanity to rise to spiritual realities. Through relics we can feel close to a holy person. We have a deeper awareness of their life and mission, of their presence in the Communion of Saints. Religion can never be purely intellectual; it must rather touch us at different levels of our being.
God comes to us though signs and symbols: the sacraments are tangible and visible -- such as water, bread, wine, oil, imposition of hands -- but through them we come into divine life. Relics are clearly not as important as the sacraments.
The saints are members of Christ, they are children and friends of God and they are our intercessors. Therefore we want to draw close to them through their relics.
The correct veneration of relics looks beyond what is visible and material to God's love at work in the saint, to the inspiration of the saint's life and to God's good pleasure in confirming the virtue of the saint by signs and cures.
Therefore the vigil can only make sense if we focus on the message of Thérèse so that the visit of her relics to Lancaster will indeed be part of her own missionary desire to make God known and loved.
True veneration of Thérèse involves people turning to God and allowing his love to enter their lives through her intercession.
Relics in the end must point beyond themselves to God, and any veneration or honour given to them is honour to God who has crowned the saints with glory, and who wishes to bless us through our love for, and appreciation of, his saints.
God comes to us though signs and symbols: the sacraments are tangible and visible -- such as water, bread, wine, oil, imposition of hands -- but through them we come into divine life. Relics are clearly not as important as the sacraments.
The saints are members of Christ, they are children and friends of God and they are our intercessors. Therefore we want to draw close to them through their relics.
The correct veneration of relics looks beyond what is visible and material to God's love at work in the saint, to the inspiration of the saint's life and to God's good pleasure in confirming the virtue of the saint by signs and cures.
Therefore the vigil can only make sense if we focus on the message of Thérèse so that the visit of her relics to Lancaster will indeed be part of her own missionary desire to make God known and loved.
True veneration of Thérèse involves people turning to God and allowing his love to enter their lives through her intercession.Relics in the end must point beyond themselves to God, and any veneration or honour given to them is honour to God who has crowned the saints with glory, and who wishes to bless us through our love for, and appreciation of, his saints.
