Relics: The Power of God Revealed

 

Recently I have been doing a lot of articles on miracles and prophecies and the like. I started with the Theotokos and have been increasingly reading about miracles and their power in our everyday world on YouTube and the internet. Today I would like to offer up another kind of miracle, one that is more easily understood by both Orthodox and non-Orthodox a like. I’m often reminded of the phrase KISS (Keep it simple stupid) and today I think I’ll try to stick to that philosophy and keep it simple. We will be discussing relics and their place within the Orthodox world and how we the faithful react to them. I truly believe in the power of relics and ask humbly that God will keep my faith strong in Him.

Relics to put it bluntly is an item associated with a saint. This is usually a piece of the body of the saint, or an object associated with them, for example the hat of St. Mark the Gravedigger. Most often though we associate the body of the saint as their relics. We as Americans are humbled to have the relics of a few saints on the shores of our country and someday I hope I can visit a few of them. St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco for example is still incorrupt nearly sixty something years after his death. St. Spyridon in Greece is known to also be incorrupt nearly 1600 years after his death. His shoes that are located on his body must be changed every month because he is known as the walking saint, still walking about the island though his earthly body has reposed in the Lord. One of the relics I have recently read about is that of St. John the Russian, who’s coffin remains closed and unopenable until it is time to change the vestments on the saint. He will appear to a person of great faith who he will send to the priest in charge of his relics and will tell this person to go and have his vestments changed. St. Seraphim of Sarov my patron saint, had his relics lost during the soviet period of Russian history and they were rediscovered in recent years in 1991, a year before I was born. Pieces of the true cross, the nails that were used to nail Christ to his cross, and his holy tomb are all relics in the sense that they were associated with Christ at the point of his death and resurrection. We read about the aprons and handkerchiefs that St. Paul sent to heal people of disease and illness in the Holy Scriptures. We also know of the miracles such as Holy Fire that are sent into the Tomb every year that they are used by God to show his power and authority on earth.  These examples of relics are a few of the mysterious and wonderful gifts of divine grace that God has granted to us. St. Ephraim also has relics that have been placed inside of a cross that one can wear and recently a young man with liver problems was miraculously healed by wearing this cross and he intends to build a church in the saint’s honor. Relics form an important part of our faith, not because we worship them as this would be considered idolatry but because they do show the very nature of God. God knows us to be weak of heart and strength and because of failings allows gifts like this to occur so that we might have our faith strengthened and to proclaim the gospel more boldly.

We know that God created both body and soul. And that they share the same holiness in regard to the nature that God gave it at the creation of the world.  Relics are a source of God’s power not of man’s and all relics point back to God as the supreme source of holiness. Those who have been open to God’s grace and plan for their lives more fully have been endowed with the Holy Spirit in such a way that their relics, and the items associated with them are granted the power of holiness to help perform miracles and healings to draw people closer to God. They are not meant to be worshipped but may be given veneration, which is a different concept entirely and worship and veneration are clearly set and defined by Orthodox Theology. Worship is for God, whereas veneration can be given to the created being, and is kept free of idolatry because we are not associating the power of the creature with God. We understand that without God the created being could do nothing miraculous.

Orthodox Christians have venerated relics since the beginning of the Faith. Those who the Church considers to be Christians before the time of Christ such as Moses and the Prophet Elisha have both been at the center of relics before Christ appeared on earth in the incarnation. Moses made the bronze serpent, which healed the Israelites if they merely looked at it.  Elisha’s body was thrown into a common tomb with another man, and the bones of the man were revived in full and he stood up. These miracles were not because of any special power that either one had, they weren’t magicians or sorcerers, but because God granted these miracles to occur for the benefit and salvation of all mankind. Lastly, I would also like to point out that the Ark of the Covenant which was carried by the Israelites and resided in the first temple, is a relic as well. This reliquary housed the ten commandments, the staff of Aaron, and the manna of the wilderness.  We know of miracles associated with it, such as when one touched it, or when it caused the Philistine gods to be broken into pieces upon its capture. Throughout the life of the servants of God, there have been great objects and miracles that have been associated with items that otherwise without the express grace that was granted it, would be considered ordinary.

Finally, there is the concern that many of the relics are fake. People love to question the faith and to discredit it means that the pagans and non-believers can have a small victory over those of us who remain true to the Apostolic faith. While the problem with fake relics is more common in the west among the Roman Catholic Church, there still is the concern that some relics are faith. The Orthodox Church counters this by understanding the history of the relic, the miracles it has been granted and so on. From a scientific point of view, there is no way we can actually assume that the relic is real. The authenticity of the relic therefore is based solely on faith alone. This faith is granted to us through God because he wants all to be called to repentance and live. Times are harder now than they have been in the past. People are searching for the truth. The Orthodox Church confirms the truth through these relics, and through the power of God. We do not claim to be some sort of mystical cult that can decipher the scriptures to the nth degree and everything is clear for us. Rather we know that God is a mystery and that he works in mysterious ways. Our job is not to question and to argue with others, rather it is to believe with such fervor that nothing else matters in our lives. God alone is our center, our focus. He brings about these miracles with the relics, not for the glory, but for our salvation that we might live. May God grant to us, the salvation that we so desperately need.

Amen.