Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Holding On To Traditions

In this age (like all ages) of flux and change, holding on to traditions can be both a help and a hindrance.  The measure is, "are they helping me to remain close to God and neighbor, or are they standing in the way?" Family traditions are handed down from generation to generation and can supply stability, and assurance.  The hanging of stockings, what's in the stockings, at Christmas, for example, becomes a familiar ritual that carries memories of parents and grandparents well into the adult lives of children and even their children. Try to break such a custom, and it's as if the world has come to an end.  In more serious areas, such a family attendance at Mass, observing a days of "rest" on the Sabbath, monthly reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, although harder and harder to maintain as family activities increase, certainly deserve the effort to preserve them, for indeed, they are the basis for growth in our relationship to God. While in some cases, the argument, "we've always done it this way" can be a hindrance, if we can explain the WHY of certain traditions, we at least have a framework on which to build.
Bro. Rene

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