Each weekend, when the announcements are read at Mass, we hear: please visit the web page and Facebook page of the parish. You will find an abundance of information there, including … ongoing information on the Synod. It often happens though; the information is either not really there or it’s old news. The synod truly is a very big deal! We have to bring it to our
thoughts, prayer, and call for action.
Certainly, the call for a synod is part of the oldest Church traditions. It does not take much to see in the Acts of the Apostles a first synod and how the Spirit moved them to become the first fruits of the Resurrection. Throughout the centuries, it has continued to be a sacred moment of a special “listening to the Spirit”. The Lord, with his dying breath, bestowed his Spirit
upon all humanity. By listening to one another, particularly those that we do not necessarily hear from, we become attuned to the very voice of God. Hence, the discernment of the path that the Lord wishes for us to take. We are not doing it perfectly. Not enough time, not enough participants, the synod not explained well enough – but God understands, and as always, God will
make up for all that we may be lacking.
There are particular moments in history when this type of listening becomes extremely important, we are in the midst of one such moment, and it is not limited to any one geographical site. We find ourselves, at the level of the entire planet, facing an enormous burden of challenges. Our very identity as members of this “global village” is called into question: am I my brother’s
keeper? Who is my neighbor? Does God or religion really matter? Has the ecological deterioration of the planet gone beyond the point of no return?
The theme of the synod, called by Pope Francis is: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission”. The two-year process was officially launched on October 10, 2021. The first phase, the diocesan phase has concluded. What follows now, until March 2023 will be the continental phase. Followed thereafter by the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023.
There is so much to be looking forward to, nothing short of a New Pentecost. Come what may, synodality needs to continue to be nurtured and become an intimate part of our cultural makeup. And a few more things as well: When we truly listen to one another, at this level, it is obviously prayer. We are listening to the Spirit; how can it not be prayer? And, notice one implication, when two or three are gathered in His name, we are church. As someone noticed, we are not speaking to the church, we are speaking from the church. It makes a difference. It then becomes possible to notice, that the emphasis can not simply be focused on changes in the church, but rather on empowering the church to do its mission: be a light, be salt, be leaven, be a place of justice for justice, be the sacramental presence of the Lord in the World.
Come Lord Jesus, come!
Father Francisco Gómez, S.T.