A few weeks ago the parish of Holy Resurrection (ROCOR) received the shoe/slipper of St Spyridon of Trimithus, brought to Winnipeg by with the blessing of the bishop in Corfu Greece. After making a suitable place in the church for this holy object (святыня) and commissioning an icon of St Spyridon, they have graciously invited the greater Orthodox community of Winnipeg to join them in their veneration of this wonderful Saint and his relics.
This is truly something wonderful, and it offers us an opportunity to engage with the Saint in a very real way, as we stand before his relics. This also offers us an opportunity to understand in a greater way what relics are, and the significance of their presence.
In short, relics are portions of the earthly remains of saints, objects connected to them, or articles that have been placed on the body of the saint. Their veneration which stretches from the Old Testament (2 Kings 13:20–21) through to the earliest days of the Apostolic Church, and beyond, has always been a affirmation of the fact that “matter, matters”. For the context that was understood in Israel and the early Church, was that “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1 / 1 Cor. 10:26); that in the light of the Incarnation, and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, reveals creation (matter) as a means to encounter both physically and spiritually, God’s saving love. The Saints bear witness to this life which reveals “new heavens and a new earth” (Is. 65:17), for if “Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rm. 8:10)
As St. Cyril of Jerusalem says “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 in it, or used it as its minister.”
( (Catechetical Lectures -18:16).
Throughout the history of the Church, relics were seen to be – just relics, regardless of what they were. Yet there developed in Western Christendom a ranking of relics, that although was a foreign concept for Orthodoxy, nonetheless came to define them. First class relics were understood to be portions of a saint’s body, that have been divided and distributed (or the wood of the Cross). Second class relics were understood to be those possessions, or objects that were used by the saints, or were part of their story (like the chains of St. Peter). Third class relics were understood to be articles (namely sections of cloth) that have been placed on the Saint’s body.
This codification was partially a way that the Church could verify relics (and prohibit counterfeits – as such most relics have certificates that authenticate them – but not all) and express that it was in the context of the Church that the sanctity and life of the Saint was consistent with scriptural witness and tradition that the Saint lived in. To be sure it is not like the Church has a copyright on the relics or anything like that when it comes to relics, yet it nonetheless highlights the Church’s role in the consent, direction and distribution of relics.
The challenge with this understanding is, that in quantifying these holy articles, there can be a temptation to also quantify their importance and efficacy; or to put it plainly; to define (and thus limit) the grace that those relics denote. This of course flies in the face of not only the witness of our faith, but more importantly the witness of Scripture.
I suppose one could say that bodily relics of an Apostle (defined as first class relics) might be more effective as a witness of God’s saving work, than a piece of cloth that was placed on them (defined as third class relics). Yet it was something like a piece of cloth “handkerchiefs and aprons that were carried away from his body (St. Paul’s) to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” (Act. 19:11-12). Even the shadow of St. Peter was a witness of God’s saving work (Act. 5:15-16) – I’m not sure there is a class for that.
This is to say that we ought to be careful that we don’t get carried away thinking that some relics are more important than others, or that some bear more grace than others; because what is important for us to understand, is that regardless of what class the Saint’s relic might be, it testifies to the fact that there were men and women, whose lives were transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. That in taking up their cross and following Christ (Mk. 10:21) they became a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17/Gal. 6:15) 6:15) that transcends even death.
The slipper of St. Spyridon that is at Holy Resurrection (regardless of what class of relic it might be) offers this witness. For there was a man named Spyridon born some 1700 years ago in Cyprus. He was a humble shepherd and then compassionate and loving bishop. He gave his life to the Lord in everything, manifesting His divine and saving love. He died, yet nonetheless continued to offer his intercessions and witness to the people of Cyprus, and then to the people in Constantinople and then to the people of Corfu, and then to the people of the whole world (including Winnipeg).
The fact we get to consider the reality of this revelation of God’s mercy and grace, is an affirmation of what God has done in saving His servant Spyridon, and what God is doing as He works to save us. By the prayers and intercessions of the Lord’s faithful and loving servant, may we all be saints!
A Moleben (supplication service) and Akathist for St. Spyridon will be served this Monday (September 30 at 7:00pm) with light refreshments to follow.