An heirloom can be something very old or something that belonged to a loved one and is held in special affection.
Reliquia is a word whose etymology leads us to relice , a Latin term. This concept can be used in different ways, depending on the context .
A relic can be something that is of great antiquity or that is a vestige of past times . For example: “Look at this relic: it is a hat from the 19th century that my great-grandfather used” , “The German writer creates his novels on a typewriter, which is a true relic since he does not feel comfortable with computers” , “ This building must be preserved: it is a relic of great historical value.”
Relics are also those objects that belonged to a loved one and, for this reason, have a special sentimental value for the current owner. A woman can name as an heirloom a pendant worn by her mother, who died several decades ago.
Relics in religion
For religion , relics are the remains of a saint or certain objects that were in contact with him. The case or space where the relics are stored is called a reliquary .
In Christianity , the veneration of these relics is linked to the persecutions that the first Christians suffered when this religion began to develop. Various objects linked to these martyrs became relics, being venerated and guarded by Christians ever since.
There are several relics associated with the Passion of Jesus Christ.
The Passion of Jesus Christ
The relics of the Passion of Jesus Christ are several:
The cross
It is public knowledge, even for people outside the Christian religion, that Jesus Christ was condemned to crucifixion, and the instrument used for this purpose is called Lignum Crucis or True Cross , and is a relic. Helen of Constantinople (also known as Saint Helena ), an empress of Ancient Rome , found the cross that Christians consider authentic in the Holy Land .
Although many people and institutions possess splinters and fragments of this relic, most of them are found in the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana (on Spanish soil ) and in the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem , in the Italian city of Rome .
The spear
The death of Jesus Christ was a certainly violent and cruel event; As if crowning him with thorns, whipping him and crucifying him had not been enough, he was also wounded with a spear, which is currently considered a relic and, after several transfers, is preserved in the Nuremberg Cathedral, in Germany . The person in charge of piercing Jesus' side was the soldier Longinus .
It is worth mentioning that, as has happened with almost all other relics, the legitimacy of the sacred spear has been questioned on more than one occasion . In this case, a study concluded that its age does not go beyond the 4th century .
The chalice
Also known as the Holy Grail , it is said that this glass was used by Jesus himself at the Last Supper , which he celebrated with his disciples. On the other hand, some claim that it is a container in which Joseph of Arimathea , a character from the Bible and owner of the Holy Sepulchre , collected the blood of Christ , whom he followed with fervor.
The crown of thorns
One of the instruments of torture used during the transfer of Jesus Christ to the cross is also a relic for religion and is currently kept in the Notre Dame Cathedral , although it does not preserve the thorns, since they are found in various reliquaries in various places. parts of the world.