Jewish and Catholic Tradition

I came across this in the Intellectual Devotional (which I love) and it really struck home. I didn't realize that Catholic Tradition has its roots so firmly in Jewish Tradition. It makes complete sense since so many of our customs and devotions were developed from those that the first Christians had practiced in their Jewish faith before conversion. It also gives another leg to stand on when discussing Tradition with Protestant friends who often have been told that Catholics came up with this concept out of thin air. What a useful and fascinating tidbit of information.

From the beginning, the Torah was accompanied by an oral tradition, which was necessary for its complete understanding. Although it was thought to be blasphemous to write the oral tradition down, the necessity for doing so eventually became apparent, leading to the creation of the Mishna. Later, as rabbis discussed and debated these two texts, the Talmud was written in order to compile their arguments.

The Intellectual Devotional