As this rainy day in Rome comes to a close, I want to share a bit of my heart with all of you. While the delegates spent Monday and Tuesday in prayer and reflection, the official opening of the Synod began with Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Tuesday and the opening session with Pope Francis in the Synod Hall on Tuesday afternoon. Click on the video below for an “inside look” of the synod hall as the delegates gather for the opening session.

I encourage you to also read both the Holy Father’s homily from the Opening Mass and his Opening Remarks at the Synod.

At this stage of our efforts, two passages from Sacred Scripture come to mind.

St. James encouraged the people to not only listen to God’s word — as does the synodal process — but to be doers of the word. This is the same encouragement I wish to extend to all of us!

“Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.” — James 1:22-24

The synodal journey is not about introspection (looking at one’s self in a mirror) but rather spending time prayerfully reflecting upon Sacred Scripture and putting it into action! This is what the co-responsibility of the baptized entails: living the faith concretely. This is how the People of God bring about the Kingdom of God. This is what Church as a people of faith is meant to be; a living sacrament in the world.

Finally, the other Scripture that came to mind today is of a similar vein. Jesus tells his disciples (that’s us!):

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. — Mark 3:33

Synodality calls us to conversion. Conversion in Christ leads us to know the will of God. The grace of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit gives us the capacity to live the will of God and in the process to become true children of God!

Peace!

Archbishop Paul D. Etienne is a delegate to the Synod on Synodality. Read more from him on his blog, Truth in Love.