On Relics and Baseball
Earlier this week a parishioner gave our parish several relics, most of which are of the first class variety. For those who may be unfamiliar with relics, they are holy items connected with the life of Christ or the saints. There are three classes of relics:
1st class relics would include things like pieces of the true cross and most commonly parts of the bodies of the saints, such as a piece of bone, hair, etc.
2nd class relics would include things that touched the bodies of saints during their lifetime, such as clothing and furniture.
3rd class relics are items that have been touched to 1st or 2nd class relics, such as holy cards.
Many people, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, tend to have questions about why someone would want to venerate the body parts of a person, or even of objects related to Christ’s life. To many this practice, like the veneration of icons and statues, seems to be akin to idolatry. For others it would seem to disrespect the dignity owed to the deceased person to have his or her body divided and spread around the world.
The practice of having relics in churches and even in private homes for devotion has at its heart the Incarnation of Christ. We as Christians believe that God became one of us, so that we might one day share in his divine life. Our lives are meant to be a process of transformation from a state of fallen humanity, to one infused with the divine. The saints are our model of what this looks like and it is not simply their spirits that became holy, but their entire being, which includes the body. Placing the bodies of saints into churches is a recognition of their holiness and is meant to give honor to them.
We are by nature, it would seem, sacramental beings. Even when a large part of our culture rejects the idea of relics and other physical reminders of our faith, we continue to betray that we need these very things. While I would guess that most Americans aren’t regularly looking for Catholic relics, there seem to be a good number of us looking for relics of another sort. I have been fascinated to watch the rise of products like “game worn jersey” baseball cards. Wouldn’t a card with a piece of a jersey that was touched to an athlete fit the definition of a relic? Most of us aren’t out looking for a shirt worn by John Paul II, but many would love to have Albert Pujol’s jersey from game six. There may not be that many people seeking holy cards that have been touched to the graves of saints, but there are loads of people seeking the autographs of Hollywood stars.
Perhaps one of the reasons we don’t feel as comfortable with relics anymore is that today we admire athletes, musicians and movie stars more than we do the saints. One thing is certain. If we truly wish to live a life in communion with God, the saints are the ones who can show us a roadmap, with or without their relics.
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