When the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
The body and resurrection hope
Christianity does not treat the body as a disposable shell. The Son of God took a real body, died, rose bodily, and promises the resurrection of the dead. The bodies of the saints are therefore treated with reverence because they were temples of the Holy Spirit.
In Coptic churches, relics also keep the memory of the martyrs close to worship. The faithful do not remember martyrdom as distant history. They pray near the witnesses who confessed Christ with their bodies.
Honor given to God’s work
Relics are honored because God’s grace worked in the lives of the saints. Worship belongs to God alone. Veneration of relics gives thanks for the holiness God revealed through His servants.
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight.
What relics teach
Relics teach that holiness is embodied. Prayer, fasting, confession, suffering, service, and martyrdom happen through real bodies. Keeping relics in churches reminds the faithful that Christ sanctifies the whole person and that the saints remain part of the Church’s living memory.