veneration

Veneration is a profound feeling or act of great respect, admiration, or devotion. It is often directed towards holy relics, significant historical figures, or divine powers. While worship is typically reserved for the divine alone in many religions, lesser forms of veneration can be shown to individuals or objects with a special connection to the sacred.123

In religious contexts, veneration can be extended to figures like the Virgin Mary, bodhisattvas, saints, or prophets due to their close relationship with the divine. Relics of saints are also venerated, sometimes believed to possess miraculous healing powers. This practice is distinct from magic, which seeks to control supernatural forces, whereas veneration is a response to the holy. Representational objects, such as statues and masks, can also be objects of veneration, embodying or symbolizing divine beings.34