Dear friends,
On this Third Sunday of Lent, let us keep our gaze focused on Jesus as we continue our journey with him. If we can persevere, we will bear good fruit. That is the message of the barren fig tree: Bearing fruit is key to being a disciple of Jesus. How is your fruit-bearing? Are you in need of some fertilizer to bear juicy and succulent fruits? This is the time to ask for it through prayer and, most especially, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
By the time you read this message, 20 of us will be in the Holy Land celebrating the Eucharist at the holiest of holy sites. I will be praying for all of you each day as we gather around the altar, and I ask for yours for our safety.
The time has come to begin the parish-level Synod on Synodality listening and dialogue sessions. I am grateful to Linda Morrisson and her team of facilitators who are preparing in advance to host the sessions. This is an unprecedented opportunity for all people to prayerfully reflect and share your thoughts, ideas, and dreams for the future of the Church. Please try to attend to one of the three sessions offered at our parish. The Pope wants to hear from everyone, Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
As we participate in this worldwide Synod on Synodality, we will:
- Gather together in small groups;
- Ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with his love and give us wisdom, understanding, and right judgment;
- Prayerfully reflect and discuss with one another the synod themes of:
- Communion - how best to grow together as a spiritual family;
- Participation – how to build that communion in our parishes, schools, organizations and institutions;
- Mission – how to more effectively be instruments of God’s love in action in our broader community and the world.
Each listening session will begin in the Parish Hall with a Liturgy of the Word. After an introduction to the Synod, participants will gather into small groups to pray and share their feedback on the Holy Spirit’s will for the Church. We will then move to the church and conclude with Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.
Facilitators will lead each session in order to ensure every participant has the opportunity to share, ensuring respectful dialogue with meaningful outcome. Summary notes from each session will be compiled to form the input from our parish; these will be forwarded to the diocese and, ultimately, to the Vatican.
There are many ways you can participate in and support this effort:
- Please consider attending one of our three identical listening sessions: March 30 (2 pm), March 31 (7 pm), or April 3 (1:30 pm) in the Parish Each session will last between 1 to 2 hours.
- Share this invitation with someone you This is a tremendous opportunity to welcome practicing Catholics and non-practicing Catholics alike, those of other religions, and those who don’t believe in institutionalized religion to join us.
- Pray for the success of these listening sessions and for the Synod on Synodality as a whole.
- Reflect on the Gospel reading and the Synod
Our Gospel reading, The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35), and the questions we will consider during our listening sessions are included in this bulletin and on our website. Please begin to prayerfully consider these questions prior to attending.
There is so much information to share about this opportunity that it cannot all be included in the bulletin. We will be continuously updating our website at www.stjohnviera.org with materials from the Vatican and the diocese that will be helpful to you in preparing for these sessions. One that I recommend in particular is a 7-minute video on the Discernment of Spirits – this is a very important spiritual skill. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Linda Morrisson, Lay Coordinator, at 321-750-2376 or linda.morrisson@yahoo.com.
Peace, Fr. John