Introduction:
For this ethnographic paper, I elected to write on Symbolism, Rituals and Traditions in the Catholic Church. Our textbook states, “There is no general agreement among scholars as to why people need religion, or how spirits, gods, and other supernatural beings and forces come into existence.” After understanding that scholars cannot determine why people practice religions I thought it would be interesting to explore the many customs and practices within the Catholic Church and why 1.2 billion people in the world practice them.
Background and Methods:
For this analysis I Interviewed my Great Grandmother Regina at her 91st birthday party held at my Uncle’s home in Anaheim. My grandmother is a devout Catholic. My interview …show more content…
Catholics vs other Christian sects practice different rituals and traditions. My grandmother doesn’t just do some of these rituals which are traditions in the church she does them all. According to our textbook, “Rituals repetitive sets of behaviors that occur in essentially the same patterns every time they occur. Religious rituals involve the supernatural in some way.” I asked my grandmother to discuss with me why she performs or believes in various Catholic rituals such as dipping your fingers into the holy water, why light candles, use rosary beads, make the sign of the cross, or kneel. In this paper I will discuss all of these rituals and what they mean and why they are …show more content…
She stated that, “The candle light is a symbol of hope that god will hear and answer their prayer. It has also become a sign of solidarity where people light candles when they unit during tragic events.” According to A Catholic Life,“In the lighting of candles we remember and truly live the words of Our Lord: "I am the Light of the World." In the lighting of candles we not only pray, but our prayers become smaller symbols of the One Light of Christ. In burning candles, our prayers rise up to Heaven day and night; prayers for the saint 's intercession are also common because of their friendship with God in Heaven. Saints are powerful intercessors. The lighting of candles has been observed since the early the time of the early martyrs.
While speaking to her I asked her about the rosary that she had in her room and what it was for. She states that the rosary is to, “help you remember where you are in prayers some of them are repeated and the beads help you keep your place.” According to Alan de la Roche, the Virgin Mary is reputed to have made 15 specific promises to Christians who pray the rosary. The Fifteen rosary promises range from protection from misfortune to meriting a high degree of glory in
For this ethnographic paper, I elected to write on Symbolism, Rituals and Traditions in the Catholic Church. Our textbook states, “There is no general agreement among scholars as to why people need religion, or how spirits, gods, and other supernatural beings and forces come into existence.” After understanding that scholars cannot determine why people practice religions I thought it would be interesting to explore the many customs and practices within the Catholic Church and why 1.2 billion people in the world practice them.
Background and Methods:
For this analysis I Interviewed my Great Grandmother Regina at her 91st birthday party held at my Uncle’s home in Anaheim. My grandmother is a devout Catholic. My interview …show more content…
Catholics vs other Christian sects practice different rituals and traditions. My grandmother doesn’t just do some of these rituals which are traditions in the church she does them all. According to our textbook, “Rituals repetitive sets of behaviors that occur in essentially the same patterns every time they occur. Religious rituals involve the supernatural in some way.” I asked my grandmother to discuss with me why she performs or believes in various Catholic rituals such as dipping your fingers into the holy water, why light candles, use rosary beads, make the sign of the cross, or kneel. In this paper I will discuss all of these rituals and what they mean and why they are …show more content…
She stated that, “The candle light is a symbol of hope that god will hear and answer their prayer. It has also become a sign of solidarity where people light candles when they unit during tragic events.” According to A Catholic Life,“In the lighting of candles we remember and truly live the words of Our Lord: "I am the Light of the World." In the lighting of candles we not only pray, but our prayers become smaller symbols of the One Light of Christ. In burning candles, our prayers rise up to Heaven day and night; prayers for the saint 's intercession are also common because of their friendship with God in Heaven. Saints are powerful intercessors. The lighting of candles has been observed since the early the time of the early martyrs.
While speaking to her I asked her about the rosary that she had in her room and what it was for. She states that the rosary is to, “help you remember where you are in prayers some of them are repeated and the beads help you keep your place.” According to Alan de la Roche, the Virgin Mary is reputed to have made 15 specific promises to Christians who pray the rosary. The Fifteen rosary promises range from protection from misfortune to meriting a high degree of glory in