Relics. Relics are part of the early practices of the Church and thus are shared by groups like the Roman Catholics and even a few more “high church” protestant sects. That said, in the Orthodox Church we have a special veneration of the relics of saints because we believe the body remains the temple of the Holy Spirit even after death - which is also one of the reasons we don’t allow cremation. Relics are parts (often small, sometimes large) of the earthly remains of saints (and sometimes other Orthodox on their way to/ being considered for sainthood). Some of the more notable examples would include the head of St. John the Baptist and the incorrupt remains of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco (which you can actually go see in the Cathedral there!). Relics can also include saints’ clothing and vestments, e.g., the other day was the Feast of the placing of the Robe of Christ at Moscow, or they could include items like portions of the True Cross as discovered by St. Helena, and so on. Every Orthodox church you will ever set foot in will have at least one relic, sewn into place in the back of the antimension on the Holy Table - while this is rarely offered for viewing, it’s an important reminder of the centrality that relics play in our faith as this is the cloth upon which the Divine Liturgy is celebrated as a sign of the Bishop’s authority. At St. Andrew’s we have two additional relics embedded in icons on the Eastern wall by the vestry - be sure to check them out next time you’re in the parish. Additionally, God performs miracles through the relics of His saints, for example the many relics of saints known to emit sweet smelling myrrh when disinterred, sometimes decades after their original burial - and remember, we don’t embalm! As St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote, “Though the soul is not present, a power resides in the bodies of the saints because of the righteous soul which has for so many years dwelt within it, or used it as its minister.”
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