Primary and secondary relics by Fr. Michael Banjo

MONDAY – WEEK 5
Our Gospel of today tells us of the visit of Jesus and his disciples to Gennesaret and how the people of the town, as soon as they heard he was around, were taking the sick to him. We read that some begged Jesus to allow them to touch the fringe of his cloak. And those who touched it were healed of their sicknesses. Flowing from this very point of receiving healing from touching the fringe of the cloak of Jesus, I will like to do a very brief catechesis on the use of sacred relics in the Church.
Sacred relics are objects that are venerated because of their association with a saint. Relics could be primary or secondary. They are primary when they are parts of a saint’s body (hair, tooth, fingernails, bone, etc). In dedicating a Church, such a relic is traditionally inserted into the altar. It could be that of the patron saint of the Church or of another saint. This practice used to be obligatory. Now it is optional. And when the priests kiss the altar at the beginning and close of Mass, that is part of what is venerated – other than reverencing the altar as an object of veneration on its own. A biblical example of a primary relic is the bone of Elisha talked about in 2 Kings 13:20-21. We read there of how a dead body that was thrown into the grave of Elisha came back to life as soon as the dead body touched the bones of Elisha. In other words, the bones of Elisha, a primary relic, restored life to a dead person. I am privileged to have visited some of these relics very well preserved by the Catholic Church – a tiny bone from the hand of St. Luke in the Basilica of Mary Major, Rome: the remains of St. Peter under the altar of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the remains of St. Paul in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wall in Rome; the remains of St. Mark in the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice. Many testimonies of healing and answered prayers have been attributed to these sacred relics.
On the other hand, relics are secondary when they are objects used or touched by the saint (clothes, toothbrushes, shoes, chairs, etc). The fringe of the cloak of Jesus, talked about in today’s Gospel and which brought about healing, falls under this category. In Acts 19:11-12, we read of an account that has to do with secondary relics: “God did extraordinary deeds of power through the hands of Paul, Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were laid upon the sick and their illnesses were cured, and evil spirits also departed from them.” In other words, items that had touched St. Paul, were used for healing and for exorcism. Such are the powers attributed to sacred relics.
In our own time, sacred relics remain very relevant for our spiritual edification. Other than venerating these relics, we pray before them asking for the intercession of the saint to whom the relic is associated. In addition, we ask God to grant us the grace to imitate the virtues of the saint whose relic is before us.
Going back to our Gospel, one would get the impression that the people of Gennesaret were very eager to have the Lord with them. We read in the Gospel that no sooner had Jesus and his disciples stepped out of the boat than the people started hurrying all through the countryside to come to him, bringing the sick that he may heal them. Why did the people react in this very welcoming way towards Jesus? The answer could be traced back to the woman who was healed of her hemorrhage, that woman who was bleeding for twelve years and found no cure. She said to herself: if I could touch the fringe of the cloak of Jesus, I shall be healed. And that was what she did. And she was healed. This event happened in the same Gennesaret. After this event of healing the woman, Jesus left Gennesaret for Nazareth. And today, we are told that he returned to Gennesaret. Between when he left and came back, the woman must have spread the news of her healing. She must have shared her testimony – telling the world how she only touched the cloak of Jesus and she was healed. That is why the people in today’s Gospel were flocking to Jesus and begging him to allow them too touch the fringe of his clothes.
Dear brothers and sisters, one of the ways to promote the Kingdom of God is by sharing with others how good God has been to us. Tell it to everyone. Share it on your social media platforms the blessings you have received and you’ll be surprised how many people you will lead to Jesus.
May God help us always to promote his Kingdom through Christ our Lord. Amen.