Why Were They Kissing a Relic?

  • Thread starter Thread starter TrueLight
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TrueLight said:
I got to mass a little early today and they were doing some prayers to Mary and Saint Anne.

Then at some point, they had a veneration of a relic.

People stood in line and kissed something. I couldn’t see what it was, but it was a relic of a Saint. I couldn’t quite hear which one.

Is this a common practice?
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Yes. It is a very ancient and Biblical practice. 🙂

First class relics (an actual body part of a saint):
“And some that were burying a man, saw the rovers, and cast the body into the sepulchre of Eliseus. And when it had touched the bones of Eliseus, the man came to life, and stood upon his feet.” --2 Kings 13.21

Second and third class relics (touched to the body of a saint or Our Lord or his Blessed Mother):
“And God wrought by the hand of Paul more than common miracles. So that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out of them.” --Acts 19.11-12

Hope that helps some! 🙂
 
“Memento Mori”. Now that is very gothic.

I remember someone saying one day that Christianity is one of the most Gothic religions that exists. They were referring to Christ’s suffering on the cross, the ancient services at Saints’ cemetaries, the yearly commemoration of Christ’s death (they left out the ressurection part). Very interesting.

This kissing of dead things is very gothic.
 
The priest kisses the altar which contains the relics of a saint…In the early church mass was said right over the bodies of the dead in the catacombs
 
It is part of the official liturgy for Good Friday…why would you think it wasn’t done everywhere anymore.

I do find it odd that someone who has just voluntarily joined the church and has done research into the church would find this ancient venerable custom to be a surprise.
 
ciero said:
I do find it odd that someone who has just voluntarily joined the church and has done research into the church would find this ancient venerable custom to be a surprise.
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Are you referring to me as the “someone who just joined the church?” If you are, look at my profile again.

Research into the church is an ongoing thing. You don’t learn everything there is to learn and then join. If that was the case, there would be very few Catholics.
It is part of the official liturgy for Good Friday…why would you think it wasn’t done everywhere anymore.
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What is part of the official Liturgy? Veneration of the Cross or relics? If you’re referring to the Veneration of the Cross, then scroll up and see what I actually said in reference to that.

If you are referring to veneration of relics, it certainly wasn’t part of the Good Friday liturgy I attended.

And (name removed by moderator) is right. Your comments are not helpfull - just smug. If being smug and superior is your goal and it makes your day, rock on! 👍
 
I was in the Holy Land last week and people on my pilgrimage kissed the silver star in Bethlehem marking the spot where Christ was born. I presume that this was not for love of the silver star, but for love of Christ who came into the world on that spot. If you kiss your mother or children it is because you love them, and people kiss the relics of saints for the same sort of reason.
 
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