The Final Report: “For a Synodal Church”

Introduction . . . an opening reflection

The Introduction to this extraordinary document begins by asking us to reflect upon the passage from John’s Gospel where Jesus appears to his followers in the Upper Room after his Resurrection. Once they overcame their fear and amazement, his followers were filled with joy. Their Lord lives!

Mixed in with the amazement and joy, however, is sorrow. Jesus shows them the wounds in his hands and feet and in his side. He has suffered greatly, on their behalf, on our behalf.

Jesus then says, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, so I send you. And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:19 - 22

Often skipped over, an Introduction is an important part of any document. It sets the stage and the tone for what follows. This scripture is what the Synod members are asking us to reflect upon as we begin our journey toward becoming a Synodal Church.
Why is that?

(Note: The numbers included in my reflection below tie to the paragraph number in the Final Report: For a Synodal Church - Communion, Participation and Mission. I’ve attached a link it for your convenience.) Let us begin:

Jesus is the source of our faith.⁽¹⁾ Those who trust in him and follow him replace their fears and sorrows with his peace, and allow themselves to be sent forth, as he was sent forth.

In remembering and touching his wounds we recall the woundedness of our world. A world where our brothers and sisters (Yes - all people are our brothers and sisters!) suffer from violence and war, poverty and injustice, environmental degradation, shattered dreams and uncertain futures. These wounds are not just inflicted by anonymous others, but also sometimes by us, by our actions and inactions.⁽²⁾ The joys and sorrows of the least of us must become our joys and sorrows if we seek to call ourselves Jesus’s disciples.

At the heart of Synodality is a call to joy and to the renewal of the Church. We hear that call and follow it by committing to the service of His mission, and in searching for ways to be faithful.⁽³⁾ This journey requires repentance and conversion. The mercy of God, his unconditional love and unmerited grace, allows us to overcome our differences and move toward communion. We are not masters of this mercy, this love, this grace, but only witnesses to it.⁽⁶⁾

Synodality invites us all – clergy and lay people, women and men - to reconnect to the source of our faith - Jesus - and live out his call more fully.

PS 1: My posts on “For a Synodal Church” are not exhaustive. They are what seemed to me to be the most important information that we, the People of God, need to know to continue along the path of Synodality.

PS 2: My reflections on “For a Synodal Church” will be posted over the next few weeks. Week 1 includes this post and one other and provides a context and a framework for the report. Onward!

Dear Holy Spirit, I wonder if the writers of this document knew that the result of their effort would be made into a magisterial teaching? That is, an official document that will be used to guide the Church toward becoming a more engaged and engaging Church, a more synodal Church. It’s a lot to expect from one document. I guess this is the part where you ask us to trust you . . . trust that what we need to know to move forward is in there.

I do trust you. Help me to learn what you want me to learn from “For a Synodal Church” and pass it along. It feels like a big task, but understanding the insights and implementing the recommendations of the Synod Assembly feels like the most important step I can take toward making our Church a synodal Church - one of Communion, Participation and Mission. Help me to do my part. AMEN