A living faith.

Dennis M. Doyle's article reminded me of something my friend Fr. Jack Dreese once told me: What really establishes one's Catholic identity is regular participation in the Eucharist. In short, it's tradition, and the rituals that sustain tradition. It's definitely not traditionalism--which the late Jaroslav Pelikan called "the dead faith of the living." Tradition is "the living faith of the dead." It's dynamic and hospitable, inviting and relevant. Traditionalism is just the opposite.

The wonderful thing about growing up in a religious tradition is that you don't have to start from scratch. You not only receive the gift of life, but a rich and meaningful way of life. The Christian life challenges us to examine our biases, to get beyond our self-centered habits. Doyle is right that we need to be patient with our young nieces and nephews, and other loved ones, as they grow up and perhaps reject the faith they have inherited. At the same time, we need to remind them that the principal way traditions have survived is through rituals. Yes, sometimes rituals are performed badly, even mindlessly. Yet even Jesus, while criticizing the Jewish leaders of his day, told his disciples not to neglect the traditions of their ancestors. It is the regular celebration of rituals that sustains us--emotionally, intellectually, aesthetically, and morally--through all those dry days and dark nights that inevitably appear on life's journey.

What rituals have young people embraced in lieu of religious ones? I fear they are the secular rituals of football games, barroom get-togethers, or walks in the woods. These can be worthwhile and even commendable activities. But can they carry the weight of giving final meaning to one's life? A good question to ask those who have left behind the religious rituals of their childhood: How are you celebrating the most profound moments of your life?

CONRAD T. GROMADA

Twinsburg, Ohio