Why do Catholics venerate relics?

Christian history is full of stories about relics, from the quest of the holy grail to tales about unscrupulous medieval merchants hawking fake relics. Today, the practice of collecting and venerating relics of dead saints or artifacts from the life of Jesus might seem backwards and superstitious to some, disturbing or macabre to others. But the tradition of venerating relics is not simply an oddity on the margins of Catholic faith practice. For centuries, many have derived spiritual enrichment from this practice. And others enjoy it precisely because of its strangeness. But what’s the theological and spiritual significance of this tradition? Why do Catholics venerate relics anyway? On this episode of the podcast, guest Jessica Mesman joins the hosts to discuss this ancient practice, some of the controversial history around it, and why Catholics today still collect and revere bits of bone and body parts of deceased holy people.  Mesman is an associate editor at the Christian Century and formerly a culture columnist for U.S. Catholic. Her articles have appeared in LitHub, Elle, Vox, America, and Christianity Today, among others. Her first book, Love and Salt: A Spiritual Friendship in Letters (Loyola Press), coauthored with Amy Andrews Alznauer, won the Christopher Award in 2014. Learn more about this topic and read some of Mesman’s writing in these links: “Are relics a thing of the past?” by James P. Cahill https://uscatholic.org/articles/201512/are-relics-a-thing-of-the-past/ “To pray with the dead, find God’s grace in a family heirloom,” by James Breig https://uscatholic.org/articles/199607/to-pray-with-the-dead-find-gods-grace-in-a-family-heirloom/ “8 prayer practices to honor the dead on All Saints and All Souls Days,” by the U.S. Catholic editors https://uscatholic.org/articles/202010/8-prayer-practices-to-honor-the-dead-on-all-saints-and-all-souls-days/ “Remembering our mortality is a practice worth reviving,” by Jessica Mesman https://uscatholic.org/articles/201904/remembering-our-mortality-is-a-practice-worth-reviving/ “How to time travel at Mass,” by Jessica Mesman https://uscatholic.org/articles/201806/how-to-time-travel-at-mass/ Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. https://www.claretiansusa.org/