Synod

The word “synod” evokes the image of “walking together on the way”.  For the Church it is a time-honoured way of working out together the “navigation map” for the Church at particular times. Synodality is about the whole People of God helping each other listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church. Pope Francis emphasises that this is not simply a matter of discussion as in a parliamentary debate. Rather it is primarily a prayerful spiritual time of communitarian discernment. It is about finding the best ways for every baptized person to fulfil the Church’s mission of proclaiming to the world, God’s love and salvation in Jesus Christ.
 

Pope Francis wants to hear from the whole Church about the reality of being part of the People of God right now. He wants us to have a conversation about how we are journeying together and with God in our local parishes. He wants us to dream dreams together about our future. And he wants everyone’s voice to count. At the heart of this consultation across the world is the call to be a Church whose members walk together, listen to one another and listen to God who always leads us to where we need to go. While many people will participate through online questionnaires, and this type of participation is very welcome, this process is about even more than that. It is about mutual listening and communal discernment. The goal of our journeying together is to be present with one another, to listen and learn with each other, and to grow closer to the Lord and God’s Church.

During Lent, the Parish will be organising “Listening Sessions” where people can come and share their experience of being part of the Church;  where they can listen to one another and listen to God’s Spirit speaking to us through our shared stories.
 

A large, majestic tree, full of wisdom and light, reaches for the sky. A sign of deep vitality and hope which expresses the cross of Christ, it carries the Eucharist, which shines like the sun. The horizontal branches, opened like hands or wings, suggest, at the same time, the Holy Spirit.

The people of God are not static: they are on the move, in direct reference to the meaning of the word synod, which means "walking together". The people are united by the same common dynamic that this Tree of Life breathes into them, from which they begin their walk.
These 15 silhouettes sum up our entire humanity in its diversity of life situations of generations and origins. This aspect is reinforced by the multiplicity of bright colours which are themselves signs of joy. There is no hierarchy between these people who are all on the same footing:  young, old, men, women, teenagers, children, lay people, religious, parents, couples, singles, healthy, disabled; the bishop and the nun are not in front of them, but among them. Quite naturally, children and then adolescents open their walk, in reference to these words of Jesus in the Gospel: " I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children”. (Mt 11:25)
The horizontal baseline: "For a synodal Church:  communion, participation and mission” runs from left to right in the direction of this march, underlining and strengthening it, to end with the title "Synod 2021 - 2023", the high point that synthesizes the whole.
 

Look out for details of local synod listening sessions in your surrounding area in the coming weeks. If you can’t make an in person meeting the Kildare and Leighlin Synod Listening Survey can be completed online and can be accessed by  Clicking Here.