It is good to good back to the roots of many customs and traditions to recover their original meaning. The handshake is the universal gesture of friendship. But originally it was an action meant to assure that protagonists cannot draw their swords or weapons. The Filipino Barong is the national costume and de rigueur for formal occasions in the Philippines. But originally it was the prescribed attire for the native indios during the the Spanish colonization when they attended formal gatherings with their Spanish overlords. The barong, because of its transparent material and pocket-less design, was meant to ensure that the indios did not and could not carry any weapons to such occasions.
We are such creatures of habits and customs that we keep on doing things we are accustomed to without fully appreciating their meaning and significance. Habits make routine things easier to accomplish. But over time, we lose sight or forget why we are doing things. And if not revisited every now and then, they deteriorate into meaningless rote.
I routinely say “I love you” to people dear to me. Every now and then, I will stop to remind myself why I love them. I routinely say “Thank you” when people do something good to me. Every now and then, I will include in my “Thank you” what it is that I am grateful for.
“Lord, let me stop often and take time to relish the moment to remove the meaningless clutter of the routine and ordinary in my life.”
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
In vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
Mark 7:1-8