SYNOD – REALIZING THAT GOD’S SPIRIT IS WORKING
“To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” 1
Corinthian 12:7
“Paul, writing to the Christian believers in Corinth, describes how the Holy Spirit works as the ‘soul’ of the Body of Christ, His Church, first ‘animating’ it, or giving it life, and then, interacting with the distinctive features of individual believers, equipping it for the common mission we all share—proclaiming the Good News of the Living Christ through lives that try to mirror His.” Fr. Tim’s Bulletin Column
FROM THE PARTS TO THE WHOLE
“The Holy Spirit”, the Love of the Father and Son for each other, the three forming a Trinity (One-in-Three God)1,
Why do we think that God is a trinity of persons, one being the love existing between the two, a love powerful enough to generate a Person? Maybe because that is our own reality when we love another. That seems to be the core of our human nature. We humans are, and always have been, made that way.
“works as the ‘soul’ of the Body of Christ, His Church”
The Soul – the source of everything that makes up who and what the human being is. The Body of Christ – Christ’s CHURCH – is made up of PEOPLE (us!) who have the Spirit working in us. (It sounds like it is happening whether we are aware of it or not.)
THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS AS THE ‘SOUL’ OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, HIS CHURCH.
“first ‘animating’ it, or giving it life, and then, interacting with the distinctive features of individual believers, equipping it for the common mission we all share—proclaiming the Good News of the Living Christ through lives that try to mirror His.”
Pope Francis is asking us to come together in groups of not more than six of us and sit back and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking deep within us. Why? So that we have a firsthand experience of the Spirit making us brother and sister to each other. That is the Good News. Our mission, like that of Jesus, is to “try to mirror” the Good News of the Living Christ.”
INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS ANIMATED, GIVING LIFE – COMMON MISSION, GOOD NEWS
“Paul writing to the Christian believers in Corinth, describes how the Holy Spirit works as the ‘soul’ of the Body of Christ, His Church, first ‘animating’ it, or giving it life, and then, interacting with the distinctive features of individual believers, equipping it for the common mission we all share—proclaiming the Good News of the Living Christ through lives that try to mirror His.”
“. . . It is this multifaceted experience of the Holy Spirit among the members of the Church that lies at the heart of Pope Francis’ call for us to participate in a ‘Synodal’ process of ‘listening’ to the Holy Spirit and to each other.” Pope feels that this can lead us to “a more focused understanding of the direction the Church should be following in our world – ‘on the same road’ and always obedient to God’s will for our witness.
“Please plan to take part in one of our listening sessions in coming weeks, to contribute, from your experience of God’s grace, to this exercise in our Spirit-led co-responsibility for the ministry of our Church.” Fr. Tim’s Bulletin Column