Corpus Dei page<\/a> follows Fr. Hardon\u2019s scheme of third-class relics; however, it widens first-class relics in some cases as follows:<\/p>\nAn exceptional position of this scheme hold the biblical relics, those objects that are connected to Jesus Christ and Mary directly. They are first class<\/em>\u00a0too. Objects in this category are the cross relics, the passion relics, that played a role in the Passion of Christ in His last days of His life.<\/p>\nBy this criterion, my ring is a third-class many times over, since it has touched many objects directly connected with both Jesus and Mary. Joan Carroll Cruz, in her 1984 book, Relics<\/em>, concurs with this to some extent, arguing (p. 2) that \u201cthe instruments of Our Lord\u2019s Passion\u201d are first-class relics, and that third-class relics can be touched to second-class relics as well as first-class.<\/p>\nThus, depending on whom one believes, my ring is or is not a legitimate third-class relic. Even if it isn\u2019t, it was touched to sites and objects whose veneration as holy places, shrines, and objects the Church clearly does condone and encourage (along with the sincere, well-intended piety and devotion of such acts), so at the very least one might say that my ring is now an \u201cextraordinary sacramental item\u201d if not technically a form of relic. That said, here are the 100 things and sites that my ring touched (with a convenient index at the end), in chronological order:<\/p>\n
1. Elijah\u2019s cave on Mt. Carmel.
\n2. Place of Elijah\u2019s confrontation with the false prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.
\n3. The \u201caudience hall\u201d (Acts 25:23) during St. Paul\u2019s trial, in Caesarea on the Mediterranean, where he appeared before King Agrippa.
\n4. Glass over the actual spot of Jesus\u2019 transfiguration on Mt. Tabor.
\n5. 4th c. Byzantine church on Mt. Tabor (transfiguration).
\n6. Cana, wedding at a house in.
\n7. House of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Nazareth (steps to).
\n8. Mary\u2019s Annunciation: pillar and rocks close nearby.
\n9. Ground of the Sermon on the Mount.
\n10. Feeding of the 5000: olive press on the site.
\n11. 1st c. mosaic tile of the church at the feeding of the 5000 location.
\n12. Peter\u2019s house in Capernaum.
\n13. Early churches built over Peter\u2019s house in Capernaum.
\n14. Synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus preached.
\n15. Sea of Galilee: location where Jesus appeared after His Resurrection and ate fish.
\n16. Sea of Galilee (water of).
\n17. Steps leading to the church (see #15), that Jesus and the disciples walked on.
\n18. Rock at the spot where Jesus healed the woman with a hemorrhage, who touched His garment: one mile from Capernaum.
\n19. River Jordan near where Jesus was baptized; also close to where Joshua and his armies miraculously crossed (Josh 4:1-24), and where Elijah (2 Ki 2:8) and Elisha (2 Ki 2:14) parted the waters of the river.
\n20. The rock Jesus sat upon when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness.
\n21. Icons in the Greek Orthodox monastery on the Mount of Temptation.
\n22. Hermit cave in the Greek Orthodox monastery on the Mount of Temptation.
\n23. Road from Jericho to Jerusalem through the rugged \u201chill country of Judea\u201d that both Abraham and Jesus walked. Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan there.
\n24. Mountain where Jesus commissioned Peter to lead His Church in Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16).
\n25. Path that Jesus and disciples walked near Caesarea Philippi.
\n26. Road to Damascus that Paul took.
\n27. Place of the feeding of the 4000 on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Mt 12:32).
\n28. 5th c. monastery on the site of the Gadarenes and casting out the demon into the swine.
\n29. Spot where Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
\n30. Jesus\u2019 Manger in Bethlehem.
\n31. Cave where Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
\n32. St. Jerome\u2019s cave next to the cave of the nativity in Bethlehem.
\n33. Room where St. Jerome wrote the Vulgate Bible in Bethlehem.
\n34. Shepherd\u2019s field, where they heard the angels on Christmas, in Bethlehem.
\n35. Shepherd\u2019s cave in Bethlehem, where they kept their sheep.
\n36. Arch upon entering the church in Bethlehem.
\n37. Grotto of the holy innocents in Bethlehem.
\n38. Location of angel warning Joseph to escape to Egypt.
\n39. Grotto of the Three Wise Men.
\n40. Slab where Jesus\u2019 dead body was lain and anointed by Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of Joses and James.
\n41. Rock of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified.
\n42. Altar at Golgotha.
\n43. Rock in front of the tomb, rolled away by the angel.
\n44. Outside the tomb of Christ.
\n45. Slab inside Jesus\u2019 tomb, where He was laid and rose from the dead.
\n46. Pillar where Jesus was scourged.
\n47. Pillar of Constantine\u2019s church built over Golgotha.
\n48. St. Helena\u2019s chapel in Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
\n49. Location where St. Helena found the cross of Christ.
\n50. Spot where the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of Joses and James, and St. John were standing during Jesus\u2019 crucifixion.
\n51. Marble and seat at the \u201cPavement\u201d (\u201cGabbatha\u201d: Jn 19:13) where Pilate judged Jesus.
\n52. Jesus Ascension on the Mt. of Olives and His \u201cfootprint\u201d in the rock.
\n53. Ancient road down Mt. of Olives where Jesus wept over the city and made a triumphal entry on Palm Sunday.
\n54. Garden of Gethsemane.
\n55. Rock of agony at Gethsemane (outside church).
\n56. Rock of agony at Gethsemane (inside church).
\n57. Grotto where St. Stephen (the first Christian martyr) was stoned.
\n58. Mary\u2019s tomb (Orthodox site).
\n59. Gethsemane cave.
\n60. King David\u2019s palace in Jerusalem.
\n61. \u201cStep structure\u201d: possibly part of David\u2019s palace.
\n62. Wall at Salem, where Abraham met Melchizedek, who gave him bread and wine.
\n63. Hezekiah\u2019s tunnel (c. 700 B. C.)
\n64. Gihon Spring.
\n65. Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the blind man.
\n66. Steps and walk to the temple (near Pool of Siloam), that Jesus and disciples would have walked.
\n67. Rachel\u2019s tomb in Bethlehem.
\n68. Old Byzantine church where Rachel gave birth to Benjamin.
\n69. Same spot, where Mary rested on the way to Bethlehem.
\n70. Church near where Goliath\u2019s head is buried: Khirbet Hanot or Horvat Hanot (c. 563 A. D.).
\n71. Fortified city from King David\u2019s time (Khirbet Qeiyafa).
\n72. Shepherd\u2019s cave in Bethlehem, where they visited Jesus.
\n73. Bet Gemal monastery (5th c. Byzantine), where Gamaliel lived: who taught St. Paul. St. Stephen, Nicodemus, and Gamaliel are buried there.
\n74. Granite and marble columns now part of the Dome of the Rock, which were originally part of Herod\u2019s temple.
\n75. Byzantine church built over Pool of Bethesda.
\n76. Wall close to Pool of Bethesda.
\n77. Church of St. Anne: birthplace of Mary.
\n78. Southeast corner of the southern Pool of Bethesda.
\n79. Fortress Antonia, where St. Paul was held prisoner, awaiting his trial.
\n80. Steps of St. Helena\u2019s church, near the area of the cross.
\n81. The \u201ceye of the needle\u201d in St. Helena\u2019s church.
\n82. Part of the rock of Golgotha in Russian Orthodox Church.
\n83. Western, \u201cWailing\u201d Wall from Herod\u2019s temple mount (holiest spot of Judaism).
\n84. Steps just outside the southern side of the temple that Jesus and the disciples and the holy family would have walked on.
\n85. Temple floor at the top of the stairs.
\n86. South temple wall.
\n87. First temple period structures south of the temple mount (destroyed in 586 B. C.).
\n88. Ritual bath of Herod\u2019s temple.
\n89. Statue of Mary at Dormition Abby on Mt. Zion (where she was assumed into heaven).
\n90. David\u2019s tomb on Mt. Zion (his body was probably moved to there).
\n91. Upper room (later, 2nd floor room marking the spot).
\n92. Lower part of upper room (closer to original).
\n93. Byzantine church above where Peter denied Christ three times.
\n94. Caiphas\u2019 house, where Jesus was first tried.
\n95. Jail where Jesus was held and scourged and where Peter and other \u201capostles\u201d were held for preaching the gospel (Acts 5:19-42).
\n96. \u201cHoly Stairs\u201d where Jesus walked to Caiphas\u2019 house after His arrest.
\n97. Giant stone from Herod\u2019s Western wall (underground).
\n98. Place closest to the Holy of Holies from Herod\u2019s wall (underground).
\n99. Main street of Jerusalem, west of the temple, in Jesus\u2019 time (He would have walked there).
\n100. Byzantine church mosaic from near Peter\u2019s denials.<\/p>\n
INDEX of TOPICS<\/p>\n
Abraham, 23, 62
\nAngels, 34, 38, 43, 52, 95
\nApostles, 95
\nArk of the Covenant, 19, 74
\nBenjamin, 68
\nBible, 33
\nByzantine churches (early), 5, 11, 13, 28, 36, 42, 47-48, 68, 70, 73, 75, 80-81, 93, 100
\nCaiphas, 94, 96
\nCaves (hermit), 22
\nChristmas, first, 29-31, 34-39, 72
\nChurch, origin of, 24, 91-92
\nCross, Crucifixion, 41-42, 49-50, 80, 82
\nDavid, King, 60-61, 70-71, 90
\nElijah, 1-2, 4, 19
\nElisha, 19
\nEucharist, 62, 91
\nGabriel (angel), 8
\nGamaliel, 73
\nGihon Spring, 64
\nGod the Father: miraculous manifestations of, 2, 4, 8
\nGoliath, 70
\nHezekiah, King (tunnel), 63
\nHoly Family (incl. Joseph), 7, 29-31, 84
\nHoly of Holies, 74, 98
\nIcons, 21
\nJames, St. (disciple), 4
\nJerome, St. 32-33
\nJesus, 4, 6-7, 9-10, 12, 14-20, 23-25, 27, 29-31, 40-41, 43-46, 50-51, 53-56, 59, 65-66, 76, 78, 84, 93, 95-96, 99
\nJesus and the disciples, 9-10, 12, 15, 17, 24-25, 27, 52-54, 59, 66, 84, 91-92
\nJesus, post-Resurrection appearances, 15, 52
\nJohn, St. (disciple), 4, 50, 95
\nJohn the Baptist, 19
\nJordan, River, 19
\nJoseph, St. (Mary\u2019s husband), 38, 69, 84
\nJoshua, 19
\nMary, Blessed Virgin, 6-8, 12, 29-31, 50, 58, 69, 77, 84, 89, 91-92
\nMary and Jesus, 6-7, 12, 29-31, 50, 84
\nMary Magdalene, 40, 50
\nMary mother of Joses and James, 40, 50
\nMelchizedek, 62
\nMoses, 4
\nNicodemus, 73
\nPaul, St. 3, 26, 57, 73, 79
\nPentecost, first Day of, 91-92
\nPeter, St. 4, 12, 15, 24, 91-93, 95
\nRachel, 67-68
\nSea of Galilee, 9-15-16, 18, 27
\nSolomon, 74, 87
\nStephen, St., 57, 73
\nTemple (Herod\u2019s \u201c3rd\u201d), 66, 74, 83-86, 88, 97-99
\nTemple, Solomon\u2019s, 87, 98<\/p>\n
Additionally, we collected water from the River Jordan and Sea of Galilee, about a dozen shells from the latter, found about a dozen or so pieces of pottery from Khirbet Qeiyafa<\/a>: the city from David\u2019s time (1000 B. C.), bought a carving of the baby Jesus made of olive wood in Bethlehem, which was then touched to the star where Jesus was born, the manger, the church at Bethlehem, the shepherd\u2019s cave in the field, St. Jerome\u2019s tomb, the room where he wrote the Vulgate, and the Nativity cave, and five smooth roundish stones from the Elah Brook<\/a>, similar to what David would have selected to kill Goliath with his sling.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"+ An Examination of Fine Distinctions of Relic Classes The Pool of Siloam in the City of David in Jerusalem (ancient Jerusalem). Here, Jesus healed the blind man. On the day we visited it, we were told that the water from the Gihon Spring was flowing into the pool for the first time (see it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":3284,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[206],"tags":[649,650],"class_list":["post-3282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-saints-purgatory-penance","tag-relics","tag-sacramentalism"],"yoast_head":"\n
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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \\\"This Rock\\\" (now called \\\"Catholic Answers Magazine\\\"), \\\"Envoy Magazine\\\" (Patrick Madrid), \\\"The Catholic Answer,\\\" \\\"The Coming Home Journal,\\\" \\\"Gilbert Magazine\\\" (American Chesterton Society), and \\\"The Latin Mass.\\\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \\\"The Michigan Catholic\\\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \\\"Catholic Answers Live\\\" (twice), \\\"Faith and Family Live\\\" (Steve Wood), \\\"Kresta in the Afternoon,\\\" \\\"Son Rise Morning Show,\\\" \\\"Catholic Connection\\\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \\\"The Catholics Next Door.\\\" His large and popular website, \\\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\\\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \\\"index\\\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \\\"Surprised by Truth\\\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \\\"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\\\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \\\"The Catholic Verses\\\" (2004), \\\"The One-Minute Apologist\\\" (2007), \\\"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\\\" (2009), \\\"The Quotable Newman\\\" (editor: 2012), and \\\"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\\\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \\\"The New Catholic Answer Bible\\\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \\\"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\\\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \\\"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\\\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \\\"Quotable Wesley\\\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","sameAs":["https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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