“For a shared mission” is the prayer intention chosen by Pope Francis for the month of October – a theme linked to the upcoming General Assembly of the Synod, about which Pope Francis reflects in his message entrusted to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
He asks every Christian – laity, priests, religious – “to walk together, taking the path of synodality,” explaining that “we are co-responsible in mission, we participate and we live in the communion of the Church”.
Working together
Whether someone is a bus driver, a farmer or a fisher, Pope Francis underlines that the mission is the same: “To witness with one’s own life, everyone contributing what they know how to do best.”
We work together in this co-responsibility, regardless of each person’s vocation.
“Priests are not the bosses of the laity, but their pastors. Jesus called us, one and others – not one above others or one on one side and others on another side, but complementing each other,” he explains at the beginning of his message.
“The laity, the baptised are in the Church, in their own home, and need to take care of it. So do we priests and consecrated persons.”
The images accompanying Pope Francis’s message specifically portray the wealth of the holy people of God (Lumen Gentium, 12): the different ministers inside and outside the parishes, the distinct charisms, moments of life in common.
Synodality as lifestyle
In his address for the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis said: “It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium.” This approach requires mutual listening and close collaboration among all the members of the Church.
This is why in his prayer intention, the Pope invites us to pray that “the Church continue to sustain a synodal lifestyle in every way, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the participation, communion and mission shared by priests, religious and laity”.
A common call
Father Frédéric Fornos SJ, international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, says: “This month of October 2024 marks a crucial moment with the celebration of the Synodal Assembly in Rome, the culmination of a journey begun three years ago and laden with expectations, desires and hopes.
“In the midst of the spiritual battle that will inevitably be present, it is a time to listen to what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the Church. In the Pope’s Video, Pope Francis emphasises what is essential: ‘We are co-responsible in mission.’ This approach, as the Pope points out, should be natural since all of us are baptized in Christ. Nevertheless, the fact that it took three years to become aware of this necessity reflects the challenges that faces the Church in its journey toward true synodality.
“As the Holy Father has recalled several times, ‘there will be no Synod without prayer.’ Only prayer can transform hearts attached to human traditions and selfish interests so that the Church will be more faithful to the Gospel.
“In this crucial month, the Pope invites us to unite ourselves in prayer for the Synod, so that it might be a true moment of encounter, mutual listening and communitarian discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit.”
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Where can the video be seen?