Tuesday, August 28, 2012

DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A SEEMINGLY FUNNY STORY ABOUT A RELIC IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?


Yes, you read the title right! This story was written in 2 Kings 13:20-21. During this time, the bands of Moabites used to invade Israel every year. The Israelites were afraid of them that when they saw these Moabites, they run to safety. One time, during a funeral, the Israelites were carrying a corpse. A band of appeared, and in their confusion and fear, they threw the corpse in the tomb of Elisha, the prophet, and run away. As soon as the body came into contact with Elisha’s bones, guess what happened?....The man came back to life and stood up…and it was possible, he run off, too. We often see this type of classic act in funny movies.

Well, since we are talking about relics, I would like to share with you more about it: What is a relic?; Are there other Biblical accounts on relics aside from the bones of Elisha?; Why do we venerate relics?

First, what is a relic? According to CatholicAnswers.com, “A relic is an object, such as a piece of clothing or, more commonly, a piece of bone from a saint's body, which has spiritual value because it belonged to one of God's saints.

There are three different classes of relics:
1.     First-class relics – these are parts of the body or bones of a saint
2.     Second-class relics – these are objects that were used by or associated with a saint or somehow with the Lord
3.     Third-class relic – this is a piece of cloth or something that has been touched to a first-class or second-class relic

Now, are there other Biblical accounts on relics aside from the bones of Elisha? Yes, there are:
  • When the people recognized Jesus, they brought their sick and begged to let the sick at least touch His cloak and those who did, got healed (Matthew 14:35-36, Mark 6:56), this happened also to a woman with hemorrhage as she got healed when she touched Jesus’ cloak (Luke 8:43-44)
  • When Elijah was taken on a chariot of fire, his cloak was left with Elisha and he used it to strike the river, it was divided. Then, he crossed it (2 Kings 2:13-15).
  • Peter’s shadow healed the sick when he passed by and it fell on the sick people (Acts 5:15)
  • Handkerchiefs and aprons used by St. Paul, when brought to the sick, healed them and evil spirits went out of them (Acts 19:11-12).

In Sirach 48:12-14 (GNT) we can read:

“When Elijah was hidden by the whirlwind, Elisha was filled with his spirit. As long as he lived, he was not afraid of rulers, and they could not make him do as they wished.  Nothing was too hard for him. Even when he was dead, his body worked a miracle.  In life and in death he performed amazing miracles.


God used Moses’ staff to perform miracles. He used people as His channels of healing. If matters are used by God, in life or in death, according to the Bible to perform miracles, give blessings and declare His holiness through His grace, then we can glorify God for what He has done through these matters He used.

Today, one second-class relic we have is the Shroud of Turin, an old linen cloth used to wrap a body and which bears the image of a crucified man believed to be Jesus.  This is a mere piece of cloth, an object. But since we believe it is related to our Lord, will anyone of us dare to tear this cloth and throw it away or use it to dust off a dusty surface? Of course, no Christian will even think of doing that because of its relation to Jesus and it has a miraculously produced image.

We venerate this cloth, we give respect to it, but we do not adore it because adoration is due only to God Himself and not to matters or His creations.

We venerate relics, not only for the miracles performed by God through them, but also because they help us reflect on His holiness and the virtues and examples of His saints that we may imitate them.


Sources:  
- The One-Minute Apologist by Dave Armstrong, pp. 134-135
- Biblical Evidence for Catholicism by Dave Armstrong   http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2004/02/biblical-evidence-for-relics-its.html 

Related topics:
- What is the Difference Between "Worship," "Adoration" and "Veneration"?  http://iamacatholicbyheart.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-is-difference-between-worship.html 
- Do Catholics Worship the Pictures and Carved Images in our Churches, Altars, Etc.?  http://iamacatholicbyheart.blogspot.com/2012/07/do-we-worship-pictures-and-carved.html 

Saturday, August 25, 2012

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “WORSHIP,” “ADORATION” AND “VENERATION”?


Often times, we are accused of idolatry. Many non-Catholics say we worship idols, images, saints, most especially Mama Mary, but we answer back that we venerate them and not worship nor adore them. So, what is the difference between “worship,” "adoration" and “veneration”?

According to Catholic Encyclopedia (The New Advent), the word “worship” in a most general sense means homage paid to a person or thing like hero-worship, worship of emperors, or of devils, of angels, of relics. In the sense of Christian worship, it is homage paid to God and His saints, or even to objects which have a special relation to God.

In the book “Devotion to Mary,” the author, Mark Miravalle, a professor of theology specializing in Mariology, said that the English word “worship” is equivocal or has two or more significations. He says that in some schools of theology, this word is used to introduce both adoration and veneration in the same way that the theological term “cult” is traditionally used, that’s why in this context, the word “worship” is used to as “worship of adoration” and “worship of veneration,” also worship  here was not synonymous with adoration. 

In the Bible, the term “worship” had the same broad meaning. In order to clarify confusions regarding which is due to God and which is not, theologians of the early Christian centuries began to differentiate between different types of honor.

The Greek term latria came to be used to refer to honor due only to God alone. It is recognition and acceptance of His excellence and perfection and that He was not created and He is the Creator Himself. 

On the other hand, the Greek term dulia came to be used to refer to honor due to created human beings because of the excellence they exhibited. This secondary kind of honor is especially given to the saints as they lived and died in friendship with God. 

Another term is the hyperdulia (huper [more than]+ dulia = "beyond dulia") which is used to refer to honor due to the Virgin Mary as she bore Jesus in her womb, making her the Mother of Christ. This hyperdulia is of greater degree than the dulia given to other saints but it is still of the same kind and since she is a created being, the honor given to her different from the latria which is due only to the Creator.

To help further clarify confusions between honor due to God alone and honor due to human beings, other terms were used. The words adore and adoration were used to refer to full reverence to God or to an interior act of the mind and will to worship God in spirit and truth. The words venerate and veneration were used to refer to the respect given to saintly men and women who reflects God’s goodness because of their participation and association with Him. By honoring them in a proper way, we give tribute to God the Source of their goodness.

And so we can say, “We adore God, the Almighty, and we venerate or honor His saints because of His goodness reflected in them and in their lives.”


Sources:  

- Catholic Encyclopedia (Worship: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15710a.htm
- Catholic Answers, The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (Adoration: http://oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Adoration)
- Catholic Answers: Saints Worship http://www.catholic.com/tracts/saint-worship
- Wikipedia (Worship: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worship)

For additional insights:
Catholic Answers, The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (Adoration: http://oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Adoration)
- Catholic Answers: Saints Worship http://www.catholic.com/tracts/saint-worship