It is 25 years since the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux began touring the world. England and Wales were honoured with their presence in 2009, Ireland in 2018. Now Scotland has opened its door. The relics will arrive in the country from Lisieux today (August 30) and remain there until September 20, visiting each of the eight dioceses of Scotland. For more details, see littleflowerinscotland.co.uk/news.
The veneration of relics might seem one of those zany, even macabre things which mark out Catholic (and Orthodox) Christianity. It has Scriptural warrant, though: the cloak of Elijah, the shadow of Peter and the handkerchiefs of St Paul. And seen through the lens of the Incarnation and the Eucharist, it begins to make sense. It fits well with those articles of the Creed: the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. When we venerate relics, we venerate a person, one who lived holiness in a bodily life and will rise from the dead embodied again. The coming of a saint’s relics is an opportunity to meet them. It is St Thérèse herself who will be visiting Scotland.
