Synodality offers a new hope for several Catholics who are looking to revitalize their life in the Church. Guided by the Holy Spirit, several Catholics have been looking for horizon of change. It is the action of the Holy Spirit that makes us man and woman on the move hopeing for Church living it mande in accordance to changing times. It is the Holy Spirit that draws the faithful to prophetic life that called them to live by our baptismal consecration with renewed vigor. Setting themseves on this path they feel challenged to allow themselves be transformed by the Gospel ready to go where the Spirit leads them. Thus, it is the task of every faithful to work and pray to let synodality come alive in the Church.
Synodality requires us to listen to the Spirit and each other. We have the challenge to be a listening Church, where along side the leaders of their faith , the lay faithful has the task to discern the signs of our time. To do it they have to listen with their hearts the word of God and hear the diverse voices of the faithful in the Church without refusing to keep their ears firmly on the ground of the reality of humanity. A listening Church becomes therefore, a dialogical Church always in solidarity with pains, wounds, hopes and aspirations of humanity. Thus, listening produces openness of welcome which makes everyone feel at home in the Church.
The wecome produced by synodality leads to an encounter with God and each other. It is the encounter that makes the Church the Body of Christ. The encounter,thus, fosters communion and fellowship in the Church. Energized by the encounter, both clergy and the laity are enabled to collaborate with a sense of coresponsibility in the mission of the Church. The encounter in the power of the Holy Spirit, enables Christ faithful to walk with the poor for the poor and those that are marginalised and suffer disease, lowliness, discrimination and several forms of injustice. It produces God’s welcome in the Church.
Synodality is indeed both a gift and task. It is grace that is given at a time when world has become a global village as well as is ridden with new challenges violence, disease and climate change. This is why we have the task and mission to let synodality be way of being and acting in the Church. We are all pilgrims always on the way. Pilgrim nature of the Church on earth exhorts to walk with every one. This realisation of our pilgrimness, is central to let synodality happen to us. Bring synodality in the Church we have let grace of synodality happen to us