The purpose of the weekly prayer material is for personal reflection and as a preparation for the gathering of the Canadian Martyrs community, where we will share the fruit of our reflections and engage in conversation with one another about our experience of the Church. A reminder that there are two options available for gathering. On March 27 there will be an in-person gathering at 1:00 at the church and Tuesday, March 29 an online gathering at 7:00 pm. The format will include small group and large group sharing. Click here for Synod Resources.
Welcome to Week Two of walking together in Lent in the Synodal Process.
The first key element was the experience of "encounter" in our lives. This week we reflect on the experience to "Listen." The process includes the following prayer material, Father Markus’s homily and an excerpt from Pope Francis’ homily on the Synod.
How do I listen to others? To their questions, concerns, stories, hopes? How do I experience being listened to?
How do I listen to God? How do I recognize God’s communication in my life? When do I remember a moment or time when I experienced God listening to me.
How does my church community/leadership listen to me? How does the diocese listen to me?
How do I listen to the Church at the local, diocesan, and universal level?
What helps me listen to others, to the Church, to God? What hinders me?
The second verb is listen. True encounter arises only from listening. Jesus listened to that man’s question and to the religious and existential concerns that lay behind it. He did not give a non-committal reply or offer a prepackaged solution; he did not pretend to respond politely, simply as a way of dismissing him and continuing on his way. Jesus simply listens, for whatever amount of time it takes; he is not rushed. Most importantly, he is not afraid to listen to him with his heart and not just with his ears. Indeed, he does more than simply answer the rich man’s question; he lets him tell his story, to speak freely about himself. Christ reminds him of the commandments, and the man starts to talk about his youth, to share his religious journey and his efforts to seek God. This happens whenever we listen with the heart: people feel that they are being heard, not judged; they feel free to recount their own experiences and their spiritual journey.
Let us ask ourselves frankly during this synodal process: Are we good at listening? How good is the “hearing” of our heart? Do we allow people to express themselves, to walk in faith even though they have had difficulties in life, and to be part of the life of the community without being hindered, rejected or judged? Participating in a Synod means placing ourselves on the same path as the Word made flesh. It means following in his footsteps, listening to his word along with the words of others. It means discovering with amazement that the Holy Spirit always surprises us, to suggest fresh paths and new ways of speaking.
