On Divine Mercy Sunday, my parish had a special Divine Mercy Mass that started at 2:30 and after Mass, the priest blessed all who wanted to with a first-class relic of St. Faustina, and then we all said the Divine Mercy chaplet together. Well obviously I knew this was a chance of a lifetime, since I know I most likely will never make it across the ocean to see a lot of holy places and shrines. Something was a bit disturbing to me as it was when I went to St. Padre Pio's feast day Mass. There is a sort of "fanaticism" that goes along with relics.
Relics are wonderful ways of coming closer to God's Saints and servants, but what struck me as sad was if I was an outsider looking in, I could be mistaken that my fellow Catholics thought more of these "saints" than they did of our Lord. It is a holy thing to venerate God's saints, and be respectful of places and things that they have owned or worked on but there is a fine line between veneration and worship.
It is this type of behavior that gives good Catholics a bad name and starts rumors with fellow Christians that we somehow "worship" saints or pray to them. Let's get one thing straight, we do not worship saints or pray to them. We simply ask them for prayers just as you would ask someone holy you knew for their prayers.
The saints can bring almost a sort of "rockstar or celebrity" mentality to the faithful. Let's just remember who the real master is and glorify our Lord and venerate the saints. We should take the excitement we feel when we see relics to the Table of our Lord at Mass. Perhaps it is because not everyone understands what they are witnessing at a Mass or the miracle that takes place on the altar, but if they could witness the angels and all of heaven around the altar during the Consecration, the saints would be dim in comparison.
I'm in no way putting down the saints, and I depend on their prayers daily just as I do our Holy Mother's prayers, but it is our Sweet Jesus in the little white Host that I place all my Trust and Hope in and I will until I hopefully see His sweet face in heaven!
My point of this post is, if you agree with this...show some of the same veneration and excitement over the Eucharist as you would visiting a Holy place, shrine, saint, etc.
For after all, it is the Lord our God visiting us on the altar and receiving him in our body and soul....it doesn't get much more awesome than that!
Jesus, I love you but help me to love you more.
Expand my little, dark heart and make it a dwelling place for You.
A place where You may rest Your head and take comfort in my love for You against
all the blasphemies and perversions committed against your Sacred heart daily.
Jesus, I place all my trust in You!
Mary, our sweet intercessor, Pray for us!
All of God's holy angels and saints, Pray for us!
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