In praise of tradition

The give-and-take tradition derives from trans- "over" together with dare "to give".  In every traditional monastic nation or civilization, a procedure takes house that tin give the axe survive called a “handing over” of the stories, the knowledge, the accumulated wisdom of 1 generation to the next. It is a handing over which makes each novel generation into a source of wisdom for the 1 that volition follow. What is handed over is a “gift”. It is non but a packet of holding whose championship deed is existence transferred to the side past times side generation. Rather, it carries inside it something of the giver. Its transmission is an deed of love. Thus the gift of tradition involves together with transforms the interiority of both the giver together with the recipient.

Tradition inwards the feel I am describing is of the highest value because it is non something nosotros but manufacture, nor something cooked upward past times our parents, but something our parents themselves have got received amongst gratitude together with respect. Its rootage is what makes it sacred.  Some sort of revelation of truth, or what is believed to survive a revelation, forms the seed of every peachy tradition. Tradition is venerated because of this. The mo nosotros suspect that our tradition is based on a prevarication is the mo it loses its authorisation over us. Thus tradition is based on the deed of faith. I adhere non but because it has been handed downward to me, but because I believe it is “true” (even if I cannot straight verify its truth for myself).

The receptivity proper to honey makes possible the transmission of tradition from 1 generation to the next. And when that spirit is present, tradition is never felt similar a dead weight on the present. Only a tradition that has lost this spirit tin give the axe larn a tedious force.

Photograph of the Vatican Library past times Br Lawrence Lew OP, used amongst permission.

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