4/10/2022

The Incarnation, when the second Person of the Trinity became man, has one of its goals to inaugurate a new creation. What Christ began is continued in the sacraments from which the Holy Spirit penetrates deeper into creation through sacramentals, blessings, and other devotions. I wrote about this in the last letter, but there are a couple of things I would like to talk about in more detail: relics and Rosaries.
Relics are objects which are part of the body of a saint, or some item the saint wore or touched or used, or was touched to a relic from a saint. Nowadays we have pictures of our deceased loved ones, but that has only been so for less than 200 years. The practice of venerating relics seems to some people to be superstitious, but in fact it has a basis in scripture. Two places in particular come to mind. The first recounts how a dead man is put into Elisha’s tomb. When his body touches the bones of Elisha, the man comes back to life. For the details, read 2 Kings 13:21. Another incident is recorded in Acts 19:12, where handkerchiefs and aprons which had touched St. Paul were used to heal people of diseases. In both cases, it was a physical object connected to a holy person which was used to work miracles. Saints are holy men and women, and items connected to them can and do lead to miracles. The Church considers these items to be blessed in a special way by contact with a saint. I have a relic of Blessed Fr. Stanley Rother, given to me for my work on his Cause for Canonization when he was beatified. I also have a relic of St. Albert the Great, my patron saint. St. Gregory’s parish has relics from several saints on display for devotional purposes over on the wall by the baptismal font. We will bring out our relic of the Holy Cross for veneration on Good Friday when we venerate the cross that day.
Rosaries have a history of bringing about miracles for those who pray the Rosary. Sometimes when on a pilgrimage, the metal connecting the beads may turn to gold – I know people to whom this has happened. Mary is a powerful intercessor with Jesus on account of her relationship to Jesus. This is a natural and well understood connection – mothers and sons are close to one another. More often one becomes holy praying the Rosary by meditating on the 20 mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous), most of which refer to the life of Jesus. Meditating on these key moments of His life can lead one to appreciate what God did in sending Jesus to redeem us: the Incarnation, life, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus cover the gamut of his work here on earth. You don’t need a prayer book, just know a few prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Apostles Creed, and Memorare) and the mysteries, and it can be said anywhere. Those who have a devotion to Mary say that she always leads those devoted to her to her Son, Jesus Christ.
Critics of those devoted to relics and Mary say that they are superstitious practices and appear to worship the relics, images, or statues. It is incumbent upon us to be sure to express our devotion to the saints and Mary in such a way as to acknowledge that we honor them, but worship God and God alone, and that our devotion to the saints and Mary enhances our worship. These devotional practices make Catholicism rich and varied, with many different ways of coming into a profound relationship with our Lord. And the devotions help to bring people to the Liturgy where we are all united into the one Body of Christ. May we learn to appreciate the many and varied ways to enter into the Life of the Trinity through Christ Jesus as members of His Church.
May our devotional life prepare us to truly celebrate the Resurrection next week!

Peace, Father Albert, O.S.B.