Relics   One of my favorite pieces of literature is the last chapter of The Leopard (the only book Guiseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa ever wrote, tragically, unpublished until a year after his death). The final chapter of the book, called ‘Relics’, describes the visit of a papal team of experts to the majestic home once occupied by the now deceased Prince of Sicily. Here, the Prince’s three aging sisters have hoarded together a stash of religious relics in their private chapel. Slowly and meticulously, a Priest trained in paleography works his way through the mass of materiel, eventually emerging from the sanctuary to declare "I am happy to say I have found five relics which are perfectly authentic and worthy of being objects of devotion". The remaining dozens of artifacts and documents, which the sisters have venerated and adored all of their lives, are stashed into a basket. When asked what should be done with them, the Priest replies, "Just whatever you like Ladies; keep them or throw them on the rubbish heap; they have no value whatsoever".   The story is a powerful reminder of how few of the experiences, possessions, and relationships we ‘collect’ during the course of our lives will survive the test of authenticity, and remain standing at the end. A  biblical parallel is found in St. Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians; "the work of each builder will become visible, for the day (of judgment) will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and fire will test what sort of work each has done. That which is built on the foundation of Jesus will survive... but that which is not will be burnt away". (1 Cor 13:12). Paul encourages the Christian community at Corinth to build only on the foundation of Jesus Christ because a life constructed on the principles and teachings proclaimed by him has eternal consequences. Those things done out of genuine love and concern for others will stand the test of fire; those things done out of a selfish motive or in exploitation of others will be burned away and exposed for what they are. The results of the former attract a reward, but the latter are of no consequence and are extinguished from memory.   Of course, none of us are perfect. The three sister’s of Tomasi’s story are dedicated Christians who spent their lives in the service of Christ, following a strict regime of daily prayer and faultless observance of the liturgical calendar. Whilst the Priest is "happy" to announce the presence of five genuine relics, the sisters are distraught; they believed they had done better. The challenge for us, implicit in this beautifully written story,  is somewhat daunting; how many genuine relics would remain should the ‘lived experiences’ of our lives come under the scrutiny of a practiced and meticulous expert? This impact of this thought is softened considerably, however, by the realization that it is, not the inauthentic and forgettable, but the genuine relics; the truly memorable and precious moments of our lives, no matter how few or how many they may be; which make life worth living after all.