A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
Last Sunday we talked about the importance of truth and the authority of tradition. Next time we'll have more to say about why it's critically important to acknowledge the simple, stark reality that some things are true and some false vs. the view that everything is "relative." Today, though, a few comments about tradition.
We saw last week that Protestants hold a belief known as sola scrpitura. They always refer directly back to Holy Scripture when weighing whether something is true or false, good or bad. At least that's their claim. They therefore do not agree with the Catholic understanding that we are informed by both Scripture and Tradition. Consistent as it is with Scripture, Tradition includes more than the written words of Scripture.
Derived from the Latin tradere, which means "to hand over, to deliver," Tradition recognizes that the teachings of Jesus Christ were passed on not only in Scripture, but also by word of mouth, beginning with the Apostles, who spent years traveling with Our Lord and personally witnessed His words and actions. In considering the Catholic position, it's important for us to realize that Scripture and Tradition aren't two separate entities. They don't stand alone, side-by-side so to speak. Rather, they are intertwined, working together seamlessly.
For a simple and direct way to understand why the Church has always understood that Our Lord's teachings were not fully contained only in the words of the New Testament, we might reference the very end of the Gospel according to St. John: "But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written."
So, we Catholics understand that the words and actions of Our Lord, heard and witnessed directly by His disciples, have always been an authoritative source of teaching, as handed down from the Apostles through their successors over the centuries, even if they weren't written down in the Gospels or other books of the New Testament. It's in this "handing down" of Our Lord's direct teaching that we find our disagreement with Protestants who want to stick with the New (and Old, of course) Testament - period. Again, Catholics recognize that the Apostles passed on what they saw and heard directly to their successors, who passed it on to theirs, and so on.
The historians and theologians amongst us can sort through the circumstances that led to Protestants breaking from the centuries-old teaching and understanding that Tradition could be considered an authoritative source of truth and counsel in conjunction with Scripture. For our purposes, let's today remember and treasure the knowledge that Tradition holds an equal place with Scripture in conveying and communicating the truths of our Holy Religion.
Tradition, properly understood, is not about people who prefer things "as they were" vs. things "as they are today." Think of Tradition as a rich and enduring source of the Truth. And, as we can never tire of repeating, the Truth is a Person - Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His words, His teaching that we ultimately find the meaning and importance of our Catholic Tradition.
We saw last week that Protestants hold a belief known as sola scrpitura. They always refer directly back to Holy Scripture when weighing whether something is true or false, good or bad. At least that's their claim. They therefore do not agree with the Catholic understanding that we are informed by both Scripture and Tradition. Consistent as it is with Scripture, Tradition includes more than the written words of Scripture.
Derived from the Latin tradere, which means "to hand over, to deliver," Tradition recognizes that the teachings of Jesus Christ were passed on not only in Scripture, but also by word of mouth, beginning with the Apostles, who spent years traveling with Our Lord and personally witnessed His words and actions. In considering the Catholic position, it's important for us to realize that Scripture and Tradition aren't two separate entities. They don't stand alone, side-by-side so to speak. Rather, they are intertwined, working together seamlessly.
For a simple and direct way to understand why the Church has always understood that Our Lord's teachings were not fully contained only in the words of the New Testament, we might reference the very end of the Gospel according to St. John: "But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written."
So, we Catholics understand that the words and actions of Our Lord, heard and witnessed directly by His disciples, have always been an authoritative source of teaching, as handed down from the Apostles through their successors over the centuries, even if they weren't written down in the Gospels or other books of the New Testament. It's in this "handing down" of Our Lord's direct teaching that we find our disagreement with Protestants who want to stick with the New (and Old, of course) Testament - period. Again, Catholics recognize that the Apostles passed on what they saw and heard directly to their successors, who passed it on to theirs, and so on.
The historians and theologians amongst us can sort through the circumstances that led to Protestants breaking from the centuries-old teaching and understanding that Tradition could be considered an authoritative source of truth and counsel in conjunction with Scripture. For our purposes, let's today remember and treasure the knowledge that Tradition holds an equal place with Scripture in conveying and communicating the truths of our Holy Religion.
Tradition, properly understood, is not about people who prefer things "as they were" vs. things "as they are today." Think of Tradition as a rich and enduring source of the Truth. And, as we can never tire of repeating, the Truth is a Person - Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His words, His teaching that we ultimately find the meaning and importance of our Catholic Tradition.
Happy Sunday!
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