Holy Reminders: Understanding Relics of the Saints

To many outside the Catholic faith, the idea of relics—physical remains or belongings of saints—can seem puzzling, or even superstitious. Why would someone venerate a bone fragment, a piece of cloth, or an old object connected to someone long deceased? Isn’t our focus supposed to be on Christ alone?

These are fair and honest questions. And like so many things in the Catholic Church, the practice of venerating relics isn’t about superstition—it’s about memory, love, and faith made tangible.

Biblical Foundations

The Bible itself contains striking examples of God's power working through physical objects:

In 2 Kings 13:21, a man is brought back to life when his body touches the bones of the prophet Elisha.

In Acts 19:11-12, handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched St. Paul were used to heal the sick and cast out demons.

Even in the Old Testament, items like the Ark of the Covenant or Moses' staff were treated with reverence—not because they held power on their own, but because they were signs of God's presence and action.

These examples reveal a spiritual truth: God can work through physical things. The Incarnation itself—God becoming man in Jesus—shows us that matter can carry the divine.

What Are Relics?

Relics are typically classified into three types:

First-class relics are physical remains of a saint (such as bones, blood, or hair).

Second-class relics are items a saint personally used (like clothing or a rosary).

Third-class relics are items that have been touched to a first- or second-class relic.

Catholics don’t worship relics. We venerate them—honor them—as reminders of how God worked through the lives of real, flesh-and-blood people. Just as we keep photos or heirlooms of our loved ones to feel close to them, relics remind us that the saints are not distant figures—they are our family in the faith.

A Communion of Saints

To venerate a relic is to affirm that death is not the end for those in Christ. As Catholics, we believe in the "communion of saints"—that those who have gone before us remain spiritually connected to us. Relics are not magical objects; they are sacred signs of this invisible bond, and they invite us to greater holiness through the witness of the saints.

In the Season of Lent

During Lent, a time of repentance and renewal, relics can take on even deeper meaning. They call us to remember those who suffered, sacrificed, and lived radically for Christ. Touching or seeing a relic doesn’t guarantee a miracle—but it can stir the heart to conversion, healing, or deeper devotion.

It’s not about the object itself, but about the God who once moved through a human life—and can move through ours, too.

Conclusion

To someone unfamiliar with the tradition, relics might seem strange. But through the lens of love, memory, and faith, they become what they truly are: holy reminders. They invite us to believe that grace doesn’t always come in thunder—but sometimes through a simple touch, a gentle prayer, a life lived fully for Christ.

If you’ve ever encountered a relic and felt something stir in your soul, perhaps it wasn’t superstition at all. Perhaps it was a reminder: God is still with us—and His saints still walk with us, pointing us home.