His Holiness Pope Francis: Celebrating Synod means walking together on the same road
His Holiness Pope Francis celebrated Mass at St Peter’s Basilica for the solemn opening of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place in three stages over the next two years.
By Christopher Wells
His Holiness Pope Francis formally opened the Synod of Bishops on Sunday with a solemn Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.
Faithful from around the world – including laymen and -women, priests, seminarians, women and men religious, cardinals and bishops – took part in the liturgy, which marked the beginning of a two-year synodal process.
In his homily, Pope Francis took the day’s Gospel reading, recounting Jesus’ encounter with a rich young man, as the starting point for a reflection on synodality: “Celebrating a Synod,” he said, “means walking on the same road, together.”
Following the example of Jesus, he emphasized three verbs that characterize the Synod: encounter, listen, and discern.
Encounter
In the Gospels, we often see Jesus on a journey, open to an encounter with those He meets along the way, present to them, and concerned about their questions. Like Jesus, the Pope said, “we too are called to become experts in the art of encounter.”
This involves an openness to God, taking time for prayer and adoration, and listening to what the Holy Spirit tells us.
It also requires openness to others, as well as courage and “a willingness to allow ourselves to be challenged by the presence and the stories of others.
Participants in the Mass
Listen
His Holiness Pope Francis that a true encounter only comes through listening to others, noting that Jesus listens not just with the ears, but with the heart. When we follow Jesus in listening with the heart, “people feel they are being heard, not judged; they feel free to recount their own experiences and their spiritual journey.”
The Pope invited us to ask ourselves if we are good at listening, if we allow others to express themselves. He said that the Holy Spirit is asking us to listen to the “questions, concerns, and hopes of every Church,” and to the challenges and changes presented by the world around us.”
“Let us not soundproof our hearts; let us not remain barricaded in our certainties,” he pleaded. Instead, “Let us listen to one another.”
His Holiness Pope Francis during the celebration of the Mass
Discern
His Holiness Pope Francis insisted that “encounter and listening are not ends in themselves,” but must lead to discernment. “Whenever we enter into dialogue,” he explained, “we allow ourselves to be challenged, to advance on the journey.”
As with the rich young man, Jesus helps us to discern, “to look within” and to discover what God reveals to us, “to discern in that light” what our hearts “truly treasure.”
This “is a valuable lesson to us,” Pope Francis said, adding that “the Synod is a journey of spiritual discernment that takes place in adoration, in prayer, and in dialogue with the Word of God.” …
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