Vision is an amazing thing. In some ways it is a bit like dreaming. Always, it is about hope. In Mark’s Gospel, there is a story of a new vision that is part of God’s dream expressed by Jesus (Mark 10:35-45). Mark relates how two of the disciples came to Jesus asking him to give them places of honour when he comes in glory. This would be a reasonable expectation in the culture of the time – followers of the leader would be honoured when the kingdom was established.
Jesus offers a new and different vision: “Whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In every era, our church, our Christian community, has been called to this vision. In every age it is a vision that demands looking at ourselves and who we are, in the light of the world of our time. Such visioning offers a dynamic, living view of church. We might call it a prophetic view.
This prophetic view was what was expressed nearly 60 years ago when Pope John XXIII called the whole church to come together in a general or ecumenical council. This was the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). It has often been stated that it takes a century for the full implementation of an ecumenical council. As much as Vatican II took place some 60 years ago, its implementation is still taking place.
It is the implementation of Vatican II that we can see in the current Synod on Synodality, the first session of which took place last October. Now we are witnessing the second Session of the Synod. Through a process of what is referred to as “conversation in the Spirit”, our Church is seeking to become a global community marked by active listening. It is attempting to become a “listening Church, to see and hear the Spirit speaking in every single baptized person, laity and clergy, women and men. As well, its aim is to hear the voices of all humanity, particularly the most vulnerable.
Such a vision demands readiness to hear the voices of our times with an openness to change. This is a significand challenge for us. Several years ago, Pope Francis noted in conversation with the Jesuit community in Slovakia that there are times when we seem to be moving backwards. He noted that we often long for the security of the past, what we are used to. We fear the new issues and questions of the present and the future. Faced by such issues, we often find it easier to repeat the “tried and true” responses of the previous era.
For Pope Francis, this reluctance to move forward flies in the face of what the Spirit calls for in our Church. Vatican II and the Synod call for a Church that is ready to read the signs of the times, that is a dynamic church prepared to address the issues of our day. Pope Francis has strong words for resistance to this dynamism: “This is the evil of this moment: namely to seek the path in rigidity and clericalism, which are two perversions.” Our Church can be more.
Two Popes, John XXIII in the 1960s and now, Pope Francis have called us to a pastoral and caring vision for our times. This is the vision of listening and openness to the world, a Church with confidence to move forward. As Pope John put it: “It is time to throw open the windows of the church so that we can see out and people can see in.” Such openness in our Church means that we live not in fear and judgement of our world, but as servants in our world, reaching out with care and compassion to heal and love as Jesus does. Then the blessings of God’s Reign can truly live among us. What a hope!
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