Saints LightPatron Saints, Relics and Living with the Saints
Choose a patron saint as a friend, model and intercessor, and honor relics as reminders of saints through whom God works, never as charms or objects of worship.
What this lesson teaches
- A patron saint is a special model and intercessor, often linked to your name, work or struggles.
- First class relics are from the saint's body, second class are things they used, third class are things touched to these.
- Relics are honored, not worshiped, and never sold; the grace comes from God.
- Living with the saints means keeping their feasts, learning their lives and asking their prayers.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 1674-1675
- CCC 2156
- CCC 2165
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Scripture read in this lesson: 2 Kings 13:21 (4 Kings in Douay-Rheims); Acts 19:11-12.
A sample question from this lesson
What is a second class relic?
- Part of a saint's body
- An object the saint owned or used
- An object touched to another relic
- A statue of the saint
Show the answer
An object the saint owned or used. The lesson explains the three classes: body (first), things owned or used (second), and things touched to these (third).
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Patron saint
- A saint chosen as a special model and intercessor for a person, place or work.
- Relic
- A physical object connected with a saint: part of the body, something owned, or something touched to these.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"Patron Saints, Relics and Living with the Saints" is lesson 10 of Mary and the Saints. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
Every course is open free for your first 14 days. After that, one payment of $14.99 unlocks every course. There is no subscription.
Related lessons
- Holy Water, Medals and Scapulars: Are They Magic? (The Sacraments)