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We are living in a forward-looking time.  Adventure and progress are the themes of the day.  Individuals and groups are breaking out of old forms and moving ahead into what they hope will be a bright new day.

Though we are sometimes frightened by this rapid change, we dare not sit in total condemnation of it.  A lot of things needed to be changed for a long time.  But in days such as these, we should also recognize that there is a danger of throwing overboard some valuable cargo that ought to be kept.  So, in the midst of changing times, we ought to think for a moment of some traditions that are worth keeping as we reorder our priorities.

The family, in the last decade or so, has been under concerted attack.  Many have called it obsolete and given it up in favor of various other arrangements.  Young people are living together without the benefit of the sacrament of marriage.  The purpose for such an arrangement, we are told, is to determine whether they are suited for each other before taking the step of matrimony.  At the same time, some married couples are deciding that fidelity is old hat and needs to be cast away.  They call themselves open-minded, progressive, modern thinkers.

One fallacy with all of this is that there is really nothing new about it.  Across the centuries, human    beings have experimented with every conceivable kind of relationship.  Nothing new can possibly be added.  And out of this long history of experimentation has come the great tradition of the family.  One man and one woman love each other for life and provide a permanent home for the rearing of children and the enjoyment of grandchildren.  No one has ever yet improved on that arrangement because it is the way God has ordained it to be.  It isn’t easy; no one has ever suggested it would be.  But it’s good and it works.

Another tradition that is worth keeping is our Christian moral tradition.  We are not speaking now of petty rules and laws but of the great moral teachings of Jesus.  Such things as fidelity, compassion, self-sacrifice, integrity and respect for others are not expendable. 

When a person is possessed of high principles with deep roots, he does not have to decide every issue as he gets to it.  Many of them are decided way in advance.  Some things are beneath him; some things he simply cannot do because they are in violation of the moral tradition that is a part of his very being; they would be a violation of the Lord’s teachings.

You and I need that kind of tradition to draw upon.  It is risky business to fly through life by the seat of our pants, making every decision on the impulse of the moment.  We need to draw our strength from the teaching of Christ that enable us to decide some issues even before they come up.  We have this deposit of truth at our disposal always.

Let no one tell you that our Catholic traditions are out of date.  Hold on to them, carry them with you, they will save your life!  Remember, Jesus always knows what He is talking about!!