Rituals

[ekastern]

Are Catholic Traditions considered rituals? When I hear the word ritual, I think it means things that satin worshipers do. What is the difference between Traditions and rituals?

My question stems from a coworker stating that the rosary is a Catholic ritual. All I could say to that was that it is used for meditation and not used as superstition.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

ekastern:

Are Catholic Traditions considered rituals? When I hear the word ritual, I think it means things that satin worshipers do. What is the difference between Traditions and rituals?

My question stems from a coworker stating that the rosary is a Catholic ritual. All I could say to that was that it is used for meditation and not used as superstition.

Main Entry: 1rit·u·al [m-w.com/images/audio.gif](javascriptopWin(’/cgi-bin/audio.pl?ritual01.wav=ritual’))
Pronunciation: 'ri-ch&-w&l, -ch&l; 'rich-w&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin *ritualis, *from *ritus *rite
1 : of or relating to rites or a ritual : CEREMONIAL <a ritual dance>
2 : according to religious law or social custom <ritual purity>

• rit·u·al·ly adverb

 

[jimmy]

ekastern:

Are Catholic Traditions considered rituals? When I hear the word ritual, I think it means things that satin worshipers do. What is the difference between Traditions and rituals?

My question stems from a coworker stating that the rosary is a Catholic ritual. All I could say to that was that it is used for meditation and not used as superstition.

Ritual is not a bad thing. Ritual implies order in worship. There is no reason to have problems with the word ritual. The Rosary is a Catholic devotional that is used for meditation as you said.

When a ritual becomes bad is when what is done in that ritual is bad. A satanic ritual is bad because they are worshiping satan. Rituals become bad when they become superstitious as you were thinking.

The mass is ritual because it has an order that is repeated every time you attend. But there is great meaning in all of it. It is not some superstitious idea that if I follow this order then God may save me.