Bishop's Message on Synodality

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Over the past few years, you may have come across the word “synodality.” Some ignore this term as another “catchword” in the Church’s vocabulary. However, synodality is a contemporary word that portrays what the Church is called to live and has tried to live since the beginning. 

In short, synodality means that we walk together seeking God’s direction especially, when we gather in prayer to discuss, decide and act. 

With this in mind, we can understand that the Church cannot be in tune with the will of God by simply seeking the majority opinion, or by following popular trends in society. Synodality calls us to come together with openness to seek God’s will, especially when discerning for matters that concern the present and future life of the Church.

Silence and Prayer

To gather with Jesus today is different from when Jesus gathered his apostles or disciples to speak on a concern. Consequently, we need to look for some foundational principles from Jesus’ life and teaching to understand how he lived his relationship with his Father. The Gospels recount that He went away from the crowds and prayed in silence to His Father. In doing so, His one objective was to be with His Father to seek out the will of God and not His own. When we come together in the spirit of Christ (synodality), we too live that same experience of intimate prayer with the Father, wanting to live His will and not our own.

The Word of God     

Jesus is the Word made flesh (c.f. Prologue of Jn 1:14). The Word formed the first Christians. Today the word of God, especially the Gospel forms us. Gradually, listening to and acting on God’s word we take on the mentality of the Gospel, which forms us to take on the mind of Christ, of which St. Paul refers to in the Letter to the Philippians (Phil 2:5).  Often St. Paul speaks to his communities of the danger of falling into the trap of taking on the mentality of the society around them or falling prey to “false gospels.” One consequence of this was that we were unable to discern the will of God together and therefore experienced divisions within the community.

Communal Listening

Our journey is to walk together as the people of God. Thus, synodality requires that we communicate to one another what we experience in understanding and living God’s will. Sharing what we have understood with one another reinforces our faith and strengthens our hopes in bringing His Gospel of mercy to all we meet.

Living by the Spirit

As we experience the strength of being a community gathered in the name of Jesus Christ (Mt 18:20), we become aware that the Holy Spirit remains present with the Church for all times. It is the Holy Spirit that lives and moves among us and reminds us of all that Jesus taught. It is only the Holy Spirit who can teach us, the Body of Christ, to follow God’s will (c.f. Jn 14:26; Jn 16:13). When we live this way of synodality, we become more convinced of this fact.

Though the Church is ancient, we cannot remain static. We cannot do things the way we have always done them and remain faithful to the Holy Spirit, nor can we expect the Church to go back to the way it was and respond to God’s plan and the world’s deepest yearnings (Novo Millennium Ineunte #45). synodality then, is our way together of faithful discernment through the Holy Spirit in order to remain faithful to Jesus Christ and his Gospel for the salvation of all. 

I hope the above description of synodality will help us to understand the beauty of how all of our gatherings, meetings, convocations, conferences can be fruitful as we continue to live “in Christ” together. 

Pope Francis has entitled the upcoming Synod of Bishops (Oct. 2023) “For A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” In preparation for this event, the Holy Father wants to involve the whole Church by engaging us in various levels of listening and discernment sessions on the theme of synodality. This will be accomplished in several phases. The first is the “Diocesan Phase: Consultation and Participation of the People of God.” This consultation will be a worldwide endeavor based on a handbook (yet to be distributed) that will contain points for reflection with instructions for carrying out the initiative. 

I have asked Dorothy and Ray Garza, parishioners at St. Andrew by the Sea Parish, to assist us in carrying out this consultation between Sept. 2021 and April 2022. We will offer more information soon on how you can participate in a listening group in your parish or deanery. Information will also be available on the diocesan website as the materials become available. 

To prepare ourselves for this synodal process, let us pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the entire Church, recalling what Jesus said: “…how much more then will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Lk 11:13).

Let us pray then, asking the Holy Spirit to open our hearts, allowing God to fashion us into vessels for His purpose. 
 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.

And kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

And you will renew the face of the earth.

Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful.

In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

More information will soon be available on the southtexascatholic.org.