I understand what you are saying and had these similar questions.
The answer I got was the difference between dogma and tradition. And the difference between traditions were germane to what Jesus did.
The example we got was: Jesus didn't appoint 72 disciples, half women and half men. All the disciples he appointed were men, after the Judaic tradition of men-only priests.
Communion in the hand (I STILL don't do that and present my mouth to the priest.) and altar girls are two practices that haven't much root in the Judaic/Christian traditions, I guess. Altar boys, girls, men, women are just helpers.
We women also get to GIVE communion, both body and blood. I guess that whole thing wasn't rooted in any hard and fast tradition.
The Orthodox Jews maintain the men-only rabbis, I understand. The "reform" Jews don't.
Ascension Thursday was a choice made by the Catholic Church a long time ago, a tradition. I guess it's not ESSENTIAL to the celebration to insist that it be on a Thursday. I think the new practice stinks, but then I attend Mass daily, so it doesn't matter to me. Daily Mass, a practice I developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, believe it or not. I've been doing it for over 25 years. :o) God REALLY, REALLY, REALLY works in mysterious ways.
“Ascension Thursday was a choice made by the Catholic Church a long time ago, a tradition.”
Ascension Thursday was no more a choice of the Catholic Church than Good Friday or Easter Sunday was. Jesus ascended to Heaven on a Thursday, forty days after His Resurrection.
Communion in the hand was one of many changes to the liturgy to make it more appealing to non-Catholics.
Meanwhile, communion in the hand was condemned for hundreds of years.
Nope nothing’s changed folks. Nothing to see here.