The New Year is here. We again receive the gift of time. As women and men of the Word, as Dominicans, in these reflections we have been keeping our ear close to the heart of the Church by listening to our Shepherd. Francis. This attentiveness has brought us smack against the topic of synodality, for this is where his developing thought for the Church leads in what he has written from Joy of the Gospel, to Laudato si, to Fratelli tutti, to Let Us Dream.
The ancient name for the Pope is Pontifex, which means bridge-builder, and that is exactly what this present Holy Father is doing: he is building a bridge. From what to what we might ask? He is bridging from Vatican II into the future of this community we call ‘Church.’ He is leading us into a future we must create as we walk it- together. The time is past for just taking ‘orders from headquarters.’ We need to listen to one another…to what the Spirit might be doing in one another, and pay attention. This is very new for some of us…”Just tell me what I should do!” we have said in the past. Now we are being asked to share what the Spirit is doing in me, in us…and I need to pay attention to what is moving me to courage, to truth-telling, and to making sure I don’t injure love. For what injures love and unity is not of the Spirit. It is from darkness.
As we enter this New Year, we will continue moving forward through our dedication to study. We will seek light to do this inner work. We will be using two sources. The first is a document from a specially appointed Commission. It is Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church from the International Theological Commission. The second document has just been released, and it comes from the General Secretariat of the Synod, called “Enlarge the space of your tent…” (Is 54:2). It is a Working Document for the Continental Stage of moving the universal Church into a synodal rather than a hierarchical mode of being and operation.
We will begin with this new document, for it comes after some initial listening to the entire global body. You can find the entire document here: https://bit.ly/continental-stage. The title is taken from this scripture passage: “Enlarge the space of your tent, spread out your tent cloths unsparingly, lengthen your ropes and make firm your pegs.” (Is 54:2) In this one passage we are given the structure key to expanding a tent. We need to spread out the cloths, lengthen the ropes, and firm up the pegs. What an image for the Church…!
· First, spread out the cloths unsparingly. Now the cloths are what protect from the sun, the wind, and the rain. They need to be spread out to protect and welcome those still outside this space, but who are called to enter it.
· Then lengthen the ropes: they hold the cloths together and balance the tension needed to keep the tent from drooping with the softness that cushions movement caused by the wind. So, if the tent expands, the ropes must be stretched to maintain the right tension.
· Finally, firm up the pegs. They anchor the structure to the ground and ensure its solidity, but they are moveable whenever the tent needs to be pitched elsewhere.
So, the Church is called to stretch out, but also to move. At its center stands the tabernacle, the presence of the Lord. The tent is held by the sturdiness of its pegs, the fundamentals of faith that do not change, but can be moved and planted in ever new ground. The tent can then accompany the people as they move through history. But in order not to sag, the structure of the tent needs to keep in balance with the different forces and tensions around it. This calls for discernment. The many reports coming in envision the Church as an expansive, but not homogeneous dwelling, capable of sheltering all, but open, letting in and out (cf. Jn. 10:9), and moving toward embracing the Father and all of humanity. More to come. Fasten your seat-belts for an exciting ride…
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