It's an odd time to be an American Catholic. While much of the world is praying, watching and waiting for the Holy Spirit's inspiration to be revealed in the 16th Synod of Bishops, here in the US, it's a dull "business as usual" sort of time. Yeah, there are some pet blessings for St. Francis' feast day, and faith formation has started, and picnics have happened and cider and pumpkins are about. But there's not a lot of buzz about what's being called the most important moment in the Church since Vatican II.
But even if there's too little excitement or anticipation here in the US, the Holy Spirit has been at work and continues to work as the Synod kicks off. For those of us on the #synodjourney already, this means we are prepared to GO:
To the Lord in prayer, for the synod, its participants, and all those reporting and commenting on it. Join Discerning Deacons in their prayer to kick off the Synod and their weekly Wednesday Rosary for the Synod (12 Noon ET) !
To Mass, to experience the kind of communion that will set us afire to undertake our part of Christ's mission of creating the Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven. Nowhere else are we so intimately united to the Triune God and to one another...nowhere else are we forgiven, nourished and thus prepared to carry Christ's healing touch to the world. Nowhere else do we encounter the Spirit's powerful work. Let's go!
To silent places, where we can listen for the voice of the Spirit, receive energy and feel hope.
To sources who will share with us what is happening, opinion, and commentary. The front page of our website will be your one-stop-shop for this! Where are we hearing truth spoken in love, where are we hearing the call of the Spirit who makes all things new? Watch and pray together. Go often to the site. Pray continuously with the Spirit.
To gatherings of other synod-minded folks, to do as the Instrumentum laboris encourages, and begin our own spiritual conversations. The previous link will take you to the process of spiritual conversation that will be used during the Synod. Why not use it to participate in local conversations? What are the signs of our times, right where we are? What does God want of us, of our parishes and families? What blindness or deafness do we need healed? What demons do we need to be freed from?
To the Sacred Word, to be nourished, strengthened, consoled and challenged as the Spirit continues to reveal and teach us. Get the daily Lectionary readings here. Get daily reflections here. Get 1-minue homilies on the Sunday readings here. Please share your preferred resources to be nourished by the Sacred Word in the comments section! Let's build the Spirit-inspired community.
There's a wind blowing...I can feel the air beginning to move, the energy building, the dust swirling.
Let's go together, faces to the wind...let's go more deeply into this #synodjourney together.
Your insights, comments, resources, and inklings about the Synod on Synodality are welcomed. Let's build our synod community by sharing what the Spirit is revealing to us along this road!
Photo Unsplash/Ben White