E
Eucharisted
Guest
Years ago, at my “day job,” I parked next to the car of a co-worker. The bumper proudly displayed a brand- new sticker: “Methodists: preaching the Gospel for 200 years.” I grinned, walked into the office, shook the owner’s hand and said: “Catholics: preaching the Gospel for 2000 years.” I can’t understand why she removed the bumper sticker from her car.
Catholics, by the grace of God and through no merit of their own, can rely on two thousand years of Tradition and tradition; it is a shame and a great loss that more of us do not bother to discover our deep, healthy and awesome roots. I did not realize what a blessing it was to grow up in a Country that was almost 100% Catholic, in a family that was 100% faithful. In those years, we breathed a deeply Catholic air. One could almost say that those of my generation and before, picked up the Faith by osmosis.
Everyone was familiar with the Saints of their particular area, not only because the feast day of the Saint was an occasion for great celebration, but because even lullabies and nursery-rhymes spoke of them. For instance, parents in my part of Italy, the Archdiocese of Milan, taught their children the great feast days of December with a ditty in the local dialect that translates like this: “St. Nicholas brings the apples; St. Ambrose cooks them; Our Lady peels them; and the Baby eats them.” That way it’s easy to remember that St. Nicholas is celebrated December 6th, St. Ambrose the 7th, the Immaculate Conception December 8th and of course, Christmas December 25th. Why apples? Because St. Nicholas of Myra is usually depicted with his bishop’s crosier in one hand and three golden apples over the Bible in the other. Again, why apples? Because tradition (with a small “t”), tells us that he threw three golden objects into the window of a poor family so that their three daughters could have a dowry and be married, rather than be sold into prostitution, as would otherwise have been their fate. Every December 6th, the four of us children would run into the dining-room the minute we woke up, and at our places we would find the most beautiful, shiniest, most gigantic apples that we could ever imagine plus some other small gift.
Read the rest here: htcatholic.org/2009/05/preaching-gospel/
Catholics, by the grace of God and through no merit of their own, can rely on two thousand years of Tradition and tradition; it is a shame and a great loss that more of us do not bother to discover our deep, healthy and awesome roots. I did not realize what a blessing it was to grow up in a Country that was almost 100% Catholic, in a family that was 100% faithful. In those years, we breathed a deeply Catholic air. One could almost say that those of my generation and before, picked up the Faith by osmosis.
Everyone was familiar with the Saints of their particular area, not only because the feast day of the Saint was an occasion for great celebration, but because even lullabies and nursery-rhymes spoke of them. For instance, parents in my part of Italy, the Archdiocese of Milan, taught their children the great feast days of December with a ditty in the local dialect that translates like this: “St. Nicholas brings the apples; St. Ambrose cooks them; Our Lady peels them; and the Baby eats them.” That way it’s easy to remember that St. Nicholas is celebrated December 6th, St. Ambrose the 7th, the Immaculate Conception December 8th and of course, Christmas December 25th. Why apples? Because St. Nicholas of Myra is usually depicted with his bishop’s crosier in one hand and three golden apples over the Bible in the other. Again, why apples? Because tradition (with a small “t”), tells us that he threw three golden objects into the window of a poor family so that their three daughters could have a dowry and be married, rather than be sold into prostitution, as would otherwise have been their fate. Every December 6th, the four of us children would run into the dining-room the minute we woke up, and at our places we would find the most beautiful, shiniest, most gigantic apples that we could ever imagine plus some other small gift.
Read the rest here: htcatholic.org/2009/05/preaching-gospel/