Hi Jeff, thank you for your comment! I apologize for my delay; I was traveling. Some other examples of Sacred Tradition that I can think of are the Mass (the ancient rites and forms of the Mass trace their roots directly to the Apostles and Our Lord's Last Supper) and belief in Our Lord's Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. The Church's unchanging (traditional) interpretation of Sacred Scripture is also part of Sacred Tradition. We know from the Gospels that Jesus expounded upon the Scriptures to His Apostles; these inerrant interpretations have become part of Sacred Tradition.
If, as Catholics, we hold Sacred Tradition in as much reverence as we possess for Sacred Scripture, why are the reading in the Liturgy of the Word at Mass only from the Bible?
Hi Peter, thank you for your comment. I apologize for my delay; I was traveling. The Mass itself is part of Sacred Tradition. The ancient rites and forms of the Mass (I.e. the Eastern Rites and the Tridentine Form of the Roman Rite) trace their roots directly back to Our Lord's Last Supper and to the Apostles. The Council of Trent (session 22, chap. 4) decreed that the Roman Canon--or Eucharistic Prayer I, as it is more commonly called in the newer form of the Roman Rite--"is composed, out of the very words of the Lord, the traditions of the apostles, and the pious institutions also of holy pontiffs." Thus the Roman Canon is part of Sacred Tradition. The Roman Canon is prayed at every Tridentine Latin Mass, a rite that is itself part of Sacred Tradition, since it directly traces its roots to the Last Supper and to the Apostles. The Nicene Creed is another prayer from the Mass that belongs to Sacred Tradition.
Sacred Scripture is the written Word of God, so it is fitting that our readings at Mass come from Scripture. Sacred Tradition is the unwritten Word of God, and much of it can be found in the writings of the Fathers of the Church and the Church's Magisterial documents. Priests often refer to the writings of the Church Fathers and the teachings of the Magisterium in their sermons, using Sacred Tradition to interpret and explain Sacred Scripture just as Our Lord did (cf Lk 24:27). Thus, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are not at odds with each other in the Mass; rather, each plays an indispensable role in both the liturgy and in the life of the Church.
Hi Chantal,
Can you give some examples, please? Besides veneration of Mary and purgatory, I can't think of much which is "beyond the book."
Thanks.
Hi Jeff, thank you for your comment! I apologize for my delay; I was traveling. Some other examples of Sacred Tradition that I can think of are the Mass (the ancient rites and forms of the Mass trace their roots directly to the Apostles and Our Lord's Last Supper) and belief in Our Lord's Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. The Church's unchanging (traditional) interpretation of Sacred Scripture is also part of Sacred Tradition. We know from the Gospels that Jesus expounded upon the Scriptures to His Apostles; these inerrant interpretations have become part of Sacred Tradition.
So true! Thank you for this reflection!
If, as Catholics, we hold Sacred Tradition in as much reverence as we possess for Sacred Scripture, why are the reading in the Liturgy of the Word at Mass only from the Bible?
Hi Peter, thank you for your comment. I apologize for my delay; I was traveling. The Mass itself is part of Sacred Tradition. The ancient rites and forms of the Mass (I.e. the Eastern Rites and the Tridentine Form of the Roman Rite) trace their roots directly back to Our Lord's Last Supper and to the Apostles. The Council of Trent (session 22, chap. 4) decreed that the Roman Canon--or Eucharistic Prayer I, as it is more commonly called in the newer form of the Roman Rite--"is composed, out of the very words of the Lord, the traditions of the apostles, and the pious institutions also of holy pontiffs." Thus the Roman Canon is part of Sacred Tradition. The Roman Canon is prayed at every Tridentine Latin Mass, a rite that is itself part of Sacred Tradition, since it directly traces its roots to the Last Supper and to the Apostles. The Nicene Creed is another prayer from the Mass that belongs to Sacred Tradition.
Sacred Scripture is the written Word of God, so it is fitting that our readings at Mass come from Scripture. Sacred Tradition is the unwritten Word of God, and much of it can be found in the writings of the Fathers of the Church and the Church's Magisterial documents. Priests often refer to the writings of the Church Fathers and the teachings of the Magisterium in their sermons, using Sacred Tradition to interpret and explain Sacred Scripture just as Our Lord did (cf Lk 24:27). Thus, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are not at odds with each other in the Mass; rather, each plays an indispensable role in both the liturgy and in the life of the Church.