May 22, 2022, Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
After the period of the Reformation many of the Protestant denominations adapted a policy of sola scriptura, meaning if a particular practice was not found in scripture it should not be a custom of the Church. They even adjusted the sacramental rites down to two – Baptism and the Eucharist – because they believed that the remaining sacraments had no basis in scripture.
The Catholic Church, on the other hand, did not rely only on sola scriptura, but rather continued the practice of utilizing traditions that it had been practicing for hundreds of years. Things like infant baptism, matrimony as a sacrament, and the Bishop of Rome, or Pope, as the head of the Church in conjunction with bishops from around the world.
Some of the traditions, however, that the Church has practiced over the years have been changed by councils of bishops, like the Council of Trent and the Second Vatican Council, which might lead one to question how a certain custom could be held for so many years and then suddenly change. Some examples include receiving the Eucharist in the hand, Mass being held in Latin, and the priest facing the congregation during Mass.
The purpose for the changing of traditions in the life of the Catholic Church can be attributed to a system that involves two different types of customs. This is the existence of Tradition, with an uppercase “T,” and tradition, with a lower case “t.” The word tradition, with a lowercase “t,” has a meaning closer to the word “practices.” These are not a part of Divine Revelation but are pious customs which have arisen in the history of the Church. These practices are subject to change under specific circumstances or after certain periods of time.
When Tradition is capitalized, it refers to Sacred Tradition which is believed to be the Word of God revealed through Divine Revelation. These practices have been passed on to the Christian world by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Many of these can be traced back to the Apostles as messages received by being handed on since the inception of the Church. Today’s readings offer a perfect example of the way in which this system works.
In the First Reading from the book of Acts (Acts 15:1-2; 22-29) we are introduced to Paul and Barnabas as they proselytize to Gentiles in certain areas of the Roman Empire. They have been confronted by Jews who insist that Gentiles must be circumcised in order to enter the Church. So, Paul and Barnabas travel to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and other Church leaders to make a determination as to what laws the new converts must follow.
Once in Jerusalem the very first Church council is held where it is decided that new members who have dedicated their lives to Jesus should not be coerced into circumcision but only maintain certain other practices. These include “to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage” (Acts 15:29). These acts are forbidden because of the potential influence of pagan worship or idolatry.
Many of the other laws passed down since the time of Moses have been eliminated for these new Christians. This is because many of those laws were developed so that the nation of Israel would not intermingle with pagan neighbors throughout their history. They might be considered traditions with a lowercase “t” no longer necessary because of the commandments preached by Jesus. Notice that two of the representatives, Judas and Silas, are sent to convey the message that this is a decision of the Holy Spirit and not completely a man-made determination.
In the Gospel for today (Jn. 14:23-29) Jesus demonstrates another example of Sacred Tradition being put into practice. He is at the Last Supper with his disciples, and he says to them, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.” (Jn. 14:23-24).
Jesus does not leave the disciples with an extensive list of rules to follow at the inception of the early Church. Rather, they are to remember and obey the words that Jesus has given them in many of his speeches during his ministry. These include things like the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount and the institution of the Eucharist during their Passover meal. Notice that once again the Holy Spirit is the guide in this decision-making process. It is not just a whim of the members of the Church. As Jesus tells the disciples, “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (Jn. 14:26).
One sticking point in the process of ecumenism since the time of the Reformation has been the reliance on Sacred Tradition by the Catholic Church. But the Gospel for today reminds us that this custom has been controlled, not by human representatives, but by the Holy Spirit, the life force of the Trinity present through the Church here on earth. This paraclete is marked by love and the keeping of the commandments of Jesus until the future time when the Father and Son will abide forever with Christian disciples.
