Synod: What does that have to do with me?

     Do you ever wonder what the purpose of the Church is? Why does the Church exist? The primary mission Christ gave to his apostles, and through them to the Church, is to evangelize. He told them, “Go into the whole world and preach the good news” (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). From generation to generation, the Church has carried out this task in various ways and under varied circumstances. From the persecution of the early church in Jerusalem after the resurrection, to the Roman persecution and official acceptance of Christianity as the religion of the state, to the Medieval times and the Reformation and down to our time, the Church has sought to carry out this mission.

     Although the message of the Gospel has been preached continuously since the resurrection of Christ, it has met with various levels of responses: reception, resistance and outright rejection. The interaction of the Gospel with the cultures in which it is preached has brought about different levels of growth and transformation, depending on the people’s response to it. And as the Gospel is preached and communities are established, there has been the need to continue to evaluate how faithful the preaching of the Gospel has been to the intention of Christ who gave the Church this mandate to preach. There seems to be unanimity among many of us that the Church is confronting new challenges that were not present many years ago. This evaluation is to ensure that the Church stays true to its purpose and is continually relevant in the changing times and cultures. 

     The Church in our diocese has come a long way. After 100 years, we will be gathering as a Church to “journey together.” This is what the synod is. It is an official assembly of Christ’s faithful, called together by their Chief Shepherd, the bishop, to reflect on the status of the church today, to listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another, as we journey into the future together. It is a call that recognizes that all the baptized have received the Holy Spirit that enables them to be members of the Body of Christ. And because of their baptism, they have a responsibility to build up this body by their active participation. The synod also acknowledges that each one of the baptized has received gifts that are intended for edifying God’s people and building up the Church. The synod therefore calls forth our putting those gifts to work in service of charity for the good of the Church and her mission in our world and time. 

     Every parish in our diocese would be participating in the diocese-wide synod consultations, to ask the Holy Spirit to guide the Church in our diocese at this time and into the future. We want to listen in prayer together and share with one another how we feel the Lord is calling the Church today to preach the good news in ways that would be relevant for the people of today in our diocese. We all have collective responsibility for building a vibrant and mission-oriented Church, one that is dynamic and responds to the needs of our times. The synod affords us the opportunity to collectively seek the face of God in prayer and in listening to the Holy Spirit for direction. The bishop is inviting all Catholics in our diocese to journey together in this endeavor. We hope that every member of our parish would consider this important and worthy of your time and active participation. Please see the events for our parish phase of the synod below. 

     May Jesus bless you and Our Lady protect you.