Praying, preparing for upcoming Synod

Pope Francis has called for a synod. The word “synod” means to walk together on a road, and Popes will call synods to discuss how the Church is walking together as the Family of God. The Pope has called for a synod to be held in 2023, two years from now. Synods can address different topics. The people who are selected to attend the meeting depends on the topic. The synod may be about the Church in Europe or the Church in Africa or it may be about the youth of the Church, etc. 
The synod Pope Francis has called is to to occur in 2023 and he has asked for a two-year time of preparation. He has requested that everyone in the Church pray for the success of the synod. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will guide this Synod.
The Pope has explained that the goal of this synod is to discuss how are we traveling down the same road and if everyone’s gifts, their God-given gifts which come from the Holy Spirit, are being used to build up the Church. It is important to remember that when the Pope calls a synod he is not necessarily thinking of the Archdiocese of Mobile. He is thinking about the whole world. He is thinking about the Church in places as different as Korea and Indonesia, Kenya and Paraguay. He is asking the whole Church to reflect if everyone is involved in building up the Church.  Do we really know, do we really recognize, do we really honor that all of us have a role in building up the Church?  Or do we look to the religious and the clergy to build up the life of the Church.
Pope Francis says we need to hear from everyone in these two years as we approach the synod, and to hear what their viewpoints are. That will be done in different ways in different places but he wishes every diocese to ask people for their input.
Here in our archdiocese I have offered eight questions to the pastors to discuss with their parishioners. The questions are also on our website. Everyone if invited, Catholic or non-Catholic, practicing or not practicing, to offer their reflections either at the parishes or directly online. The replies will be compiled and sent on. The Pope is asking for input from all of the dioceses. He wants to know if people recognize that we are all equally part of the Church, welcomed into the Church, and part of the mission of the Church to “Go and teach all nations …” (Mt 28:19). 
This synod obviously comes out of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, held in the 1960s. One of the most important insights that the Council Fathers had was this: that our dignity as members of the Church comes from our baptism. That does not sound like it is earth shattering, and it was certainly not a new teaching. St. Peter teaches it in the Bible. It was, however, a teaching which brought about a renewed focus on the role of the laity. Before the Second Vatican Council our focus was more that our dignity as members of the Church came from our role in the Church. Now we remember that it is our baptism which gives us our true dignity as members of the Church.
I remember as a child the diagram that was in my catechism book.  The Church was diagramed as a pyramid and at the top was the Pope, then the cardinals, then the bishops, then the priests, then the religious and at the bottom were the lay people. Our dignity as members of the Church came from our role. The Second Vatican Council recaptured the true vision that our dignity comes from our baptism. The Vatican II document “Lumen Gentium” taught that because we are baptized, each one of us shares in the three-fold offices of Jesus Christ. Jesus is priest, prophet and king. Therefore, each one of us is a priest, a prophet and a king.  Each one of us is called to sanctify our homes and the world (priest); each one of us is called to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ (prophet); each one of us is called to be a servant-leader (king).
This teaching was enshrined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church issued by St. John Paul II:
The anointing with sacred chrism (at baptism), perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one “anointed” by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet and king. (1241)
St. Peter in the Bible says we are a priestly people; we are a kingly people. Regaining this focus was very important and that had profound pastoral implications in our Church, especially upon the day to day life of the Church. That is at the heart of this upcoming synod. I will go more into this in my article in the next edition of "The Catholic Week."