For the past few weeks, in our liturgies, we have focused on the theme of Jesus as “the bread of life” as presented in John’s Gospel, chapter 6. Now we return to Mark’s Gospel and reflect on what it means to be disciples of Jesus. In doing so, we become more aware of what it means to call ourselves a Christian community of disciples. Often, we speak of this as being church. The Synod, which will resume in Rome this Fall is intended to be an opportunity for our global Church to reflect on what all this can and does mean for our world-wide community. Discovering who we are, in whatever the context in which we live, is important. And the readiness to respond to the needs for new vision in response to our changing context is significant for our Church.
Local churches are urged to spend time in reflection on how they can grow awareness of what is taking place at the Synod in Rome. An example of this will take place in our own diocese on September 14 when Dr. Michael Higgins launches his new book: The Jesuit Disruptor: A Personal Portrait of Pope Francis, in Fredericton. The launch will take place at a presentation by Dr. Higgins on “The Synod on Synodality”.
The synod is an expression of the role Pope Francis is playing in the growing awareness by our church of the need to listen to all the baptized - laity and clergy, female and male. It is founded on our shared baptismal call. This presents all of us with the challenge of change, which is part of all life, in a host of settings. Mark’s Gospel reveals this challenge facing Jesus and his disciples as they shared the Good News. It is not a new challenge, nor does it ever go away.
In some cities across Canada, until very recently there were city by-laws which demanded that hotels and inns provide stabling facilities for the horses of their guests. In its time, this was a response to the needs of the time, a way of offering hospitality to guests. The by-law remained on the books even though virtually no guest came to the hotel on a horse. No one bothered to change the by-law.
It is a very human trait to resist change or at the very least, be uncomfortable with it. Humanly speaking, change is a constant challenge for us. The world develops, circumstances change and at times we do not keep up with the change. This is something of what we see Jesus working against with the Pharisees in Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.
The fundamental call of Jewish faith was quite simple, to love God and to love neighbour. This is the basic tradition of Judaism. As time passed and life evolved, the people of the Old Testament developed other traditions, customs and practices which adapted this basic or fundamental tradition to particular circumstances of life. In this way the many ritual laws and practices of Judaism were developed – e.g. the washing of hands, cups, pots, and bronze kettles as well as many other ritual laws.
As these laws developed, they made sense. They had a connection with the core tradition as a way of expressing honour to God and respect for neighbour. But as life and circumstances changed the ritual laws continued even though the connection with the basic or core tradition was not longer evident. The ritual laws took on a life of their own and even obscured the core tradition. Meticulously saying the right words and performing the correct actions appeared as more important than the loving, communal action of the People of God.
This was the challenge faced by Jesus when he encountered the Pharisees – “You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” The Pharisees were not bad folk. In fact, they were zealous and committed followers of the Law. But in their zeal, they forgot the core tradition, or at the very least obscured it. Jesus’ words and actions were a call to return to the core tradition of loving God and neighbour. The ritual laws got in the way of seeing this fundamental call. Lip service to the Law got in the way of living God’s call from the heart.
Living the core of God’s plan with the heart is what discipleship to Jesus is all about. This is who we are as Church. Being Church, living as disciples is a matter of the heart and the simple double commandment of love God and love neighbour. Here is the challenge - how we love evolves and changes over time as our world and our circumstances change. The laws, rules and rituals are simple ways of responding in particular times and are subject to change. The heart is the constant in discipleship and in being Church.
The present experience of the Synod on Synodality offers an opportunity to look at the heart of who we are as Church. Are we ready to accept change, in order to speak to the world in which we live at our time in history?
Speaking at the opening of the First Session of the Synod on October 9 2021, Pope Francis uttered a prayer calling on the Holy Spirit. He began the prayer with these words:
Come , Holy Spirit! You inspire new tongues and place words of life on our lips:
Keep us from becoming a “museum Church”, beautiful but mute, with much
Past and little future….
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