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March 2004
Auguri to all friends of Edmund Rice. Now that we are in the Holy Season of Lent, I trust that we are engaged in doing something positive to help a neighbour, in the spirit of Blessed Edmund. This month, in response to a number of queries, I’ll say something that may be of help to you in the use of relics of Blessed Edmund. Then, as promised last month, I’ll offer a number of suggestions about the International Novena in honour of Blessed Edmund.
Praying with Relics1. Relics, in the same way as prayer books and rosary beads, are meant to be aids to prayer, not an end in themselves.
2. Just as we gaze at a holy picture of Christ, Our Lady, or some favourite saint, they are a means of concentrating on the life of the Saint or Blessed so that we can unite our prayer with theirs, hoping that the quality of theirs will be welded onto our less than perfect endeavour.
3. Before a Relic exposed on an altar or in a special place, we realise that we are in the presence of something that was once part of or very close to a holy person. We thank God for the privilege and unite our prayer with that of the holy one who is now, we believe, before the Throne of God.
4. Relics should always be treated with reverence and kept in a special safe place. Throwing them casually into a drawer is hardly sufficient. Normally, they should have their own special containers.
5. When people come to pray together where there is a relic, one designated person should be in charge of blessing those present with it, collectively at first and then individually for those who so wish.
6. Prayers in honour of the person so venerated should be said on those occasions, some vocally and many privately. If there is a special intention for which prayers are requested, this should be stated at the gathering.
7. It should be emphasised that, where healing is requested, God alone grants this in answer to our prayers. However, as members of the Communion of Saints, we may invoke the intercession of any of our favourite heavenly advocates and of all those present to pray with us and for us.
8. If a notebook is kept where a relic is stored, the names of those who request favours should be written down, together with the dates and the nature of the requests. If there appears to be an answer to the matter requested, this should also be listed.
9. If there is a magazine/newsletter published in connection with a prayer group associated with a holy person, the ‘Favours Received’ could be published in thanksgiving, as well as requests for other favours.
10. Please keep the Postulator/Vice-Postulator notified of all developments.
11. In the case of the sick confined to bed, the relic may be brought to them and placed by their bedside for an agreed period of time. The relic may be used in praying over and with the sick. The relic may be applied to the diseased part of the body, publicly or privately as circumstances dictate. The sick person should be encouraged to kiss the relic reverently while praying through the intercession of the holy one invoked.
12. In praying for a cure or some other favour, one is encouraged to pray that God’s will may be done in whatever transpires. After all, God knows best, and his timing may be more opportune than ours!
13. In the case of a Novena or Triduum or a special Mass, the Relic should be reverently exposed on each of the days involved and carefully stored afterwards. The first class relic (usually a part of the bone) should always be returned to the custody of the nominated custodian afterwards.
14. The Postulator is responsible for keeping a list of the locations of the first class relics, and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has jurisdiction for checking such lists from time to time. Abuses have happened in the past.
15. A second-class relic is usually a small piece of cloth that has touched the remains of the holy one. This may be kept by individuals with their rosary beads or prayer books for purposes of personal devotion and should always be treated with reverence.
Br. Donal Blake CFC, |
