Relics are either a part of a saint’s body, an object that has come in contact with a saint, or something that touched Jesus Himself.
Catholics do not adore or worship these holy objects because they have no power of their own. Any work that comes from relics comes from God and reminds us to worship Him.
The veneration of relics is a practice that started very early in Christianity and Sacred Scripture supports their use. The Bible contains several examples of God working through physical objects.
Miracles result from the holiness of saints:
She had heard the reports about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well.” And immediately the hemorrhage ceased; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, “Who touched my garments?”
Mark 5: 27-30
Keeping close to a body that will one day be raised up:
Holy reminders of good men and women:
Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1674
Our faith is not only spiritual but also material:
God uses created things to reveal his glory:
The saints have been traditionally honored in the Church and their authentic relics and images held in veneration. For the feasts of the saints proclaim the wonderful works of Christ in His servants, and display to the faithful fitting examples for their imitation.
Pope Paul VI, Sacrosanctum Concilium, December 4, 1963
The world maligns and misunderstands this spiritually beneficial practice:
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