Pope Francis has called for a synod on the synodal nature of the Church. The word synod means journeying together. God journeys with us as we journey with one another.
Journeying together calls us to listen to one another and to the Lord. Pope Francis states that the synod process “was conceived as an exercise in mutual listening… conducted at all levels of the Church.” This listening is not about garnering opinions or taking a survey. It is a matter of listening to the Holy Spirit as we listen to the experiences of one another, our hopes and dreams as well as that inner restlessness which “impels us to consider what it is best to do, what needs to be preserved or changed.”
A Synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, journeys together. How is this journeying together happening at St. John the Baptist Catholic Community in Covington? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our journey together? When you read this, what experiences in our parish come to mind? As you savor these experiences and hear those of others, what joys did they provoke? What difficulties or obstacles have they encountered. What wounds have they brought to light? What insights have they elicited?
Please be watching for a schedule of parish listening session, both in-person and online. Come, share your experience, listen to others and help us discern where the Spirit is calling our parish community.