My interaction with relics was, until recently, not different from the way many interact with the sacred remains of St Francis Xavier, now exposed for all the faithful until the fifth of January next year. The process was, and is for these faithful, fairly simple; one approaches the relic, files past, perhaps one kneels – since one is the presence of the sacred – kisses the relic, and then one moves on. All too often, especially in the case of a relic like that of St. Francis Xavier, one is obliged to move on, either by the press of the queue behind us, or by the ushers who shoo us along after the few seconds that are granted to us. Even if there isn’t such a crush of persons behind us, my own practice in the presence of relics was fairly brisk, if not – I am now ashamed to admit – perfunctory. All of this changed over the past year thanks to two experiences I would like to share with you.
The second of the experiences, which I would like to share first, took place around this time last year. I had made a trip to the lovely hill town of Loreto in the Italian province of Ancona.
The town is famous for having the remains of the Holy house of Nazareth, the place where the Holy family – Jesus, Mary and Joseph – lived after their return from Egypt, and also the location of the Annunciation, the place where Our Lady received the visit from the angel Gabriel. Reportedly carried over by angels (though secular history tells us that the remains were carried over by the Angelis family) what remains of the house are a few tiers of bricks, which are incorporated into three walls of the holy house, the fourth wall being the altar of the shrine within the house.
If I recollect correctly my travelling companion fell ill at the time, and so I was left delightfully alone and free to do my own thing. And so it was that I filled my day with multiple visits to the church built around the Holy House, praying the various mysteries of the rosary, sometimes spending time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for most of the day in the church. I did not necessarily visit the Holy House at every visit, or caress the stone bricks that constitute the house, but perambulated around it most of the time, restricting my own access to the House, preferring instead to contemplate the mysteries of the rosary.
Let me assure you, however, of what a beautiful time I had at Loreto. It was perhaps the most wonderful experience I had of a place. It filled me and buoyed me, and I cannot wait to share this experience with others in the future!
The first of the experiences is probably what influenced my approach to the Holy House in Loreto. This experience took place during the World Youth Day held in Lisbon in the month of August last year. There were at least three relics also visiting Lisbon at the time along with the thousands, and thousands, of Catholic pilgrims from across the world. One of these was a ring worn by St. Joan of Arc, the second was the skull of St. Thomas Aquinas, and the third
were relics of St. Therese of Lisieux.
I was unable to visit the first of these relics, but I managed to pay a visit to the other two. But I suspect it was the second of these relics that made the greatest impression on me. For those imagining that I was able to gawk at the skull of a man long dead (St Thomas Aquinas died in 1274) I must assure you that I do not recollect actually seeing his skull. It was housed in a box and placed at a distance away from the venerating faithful. Indeed, reflecting on that experience, one realises how fortunate one is to have such an intimate access to St. Francis Xavier during the Exposition.
Unsure on what to do next, I almost slipped into my habit of leaving immediately after a few moments of perfunctory prayer. Perhaps it was the presence of all those young people in fervent prayer that caused me to hold on; or perhaps it was the fact that over the past few years – and especially during the pandemic – I had been listening to videos produced by the Dominicans of the Province of St Joseph. Under the rubric Aquinas 101, these videos provide an easily understandable introduction to the teachings of the Universal Doctor of the Church. And so it was that I realised that I was in the presence of the skull of the man who had given me so much. How could I just up and leave without spending some time with a man who was becoming, if not already, a friend?
I did spend time, perhaps a half an hour, and then left. And then, over the course of the following day, something happened. It was imperceptible at first, and then I couldn’t put a finger on it. But then I realised that in many ways it was as if I felt the physical presence of Aquinas. Not in some spooky way, but nevertheless palpably. And this is when I realised this was how one venerates a relic.
A saint of the Catholic Church is a friend, especially if we call out to them in times of need. They are, according to Catholic teaching, still awaiting reunion with their bodies, yet they can respond to our calls, owing to their proximity to God. It is this friendship that we are called to cultivate with the saints, and the veneration of their relics is a part of this process of deepening our friendship with them. We spend time in their physical presence, just as one does with a friend, silently, just as one does with very special friends, and the relationship grows as a result of this passing of time with them.
And so, dear reader, if you happen to go to Old Goa to see St. Francis Xavier – and I encourage you to do so – don’t just file past his remains. Rather, once you are done venerating him, find a pew close by, kneel in prayer, or simply sit in his presence. Don’t ask, or request, but simply be in his presence, reflect on his life, and let him respond. He has kept Goa safe thus far, he will keep you safe too.
(Jason Keith Fernandes is a theologian and socio-legal scholar)