The Synod Continues
The Synod Continues
The month of October began with the second ordinary session of the Synod getting underway in Rome. One of the key theological concepts which has informed discussions and documents and been a rich resource for prayer and reflection has been the notion of the person created in the image and likeness of God. The human person finds purpose in life through relationships. Primary is each person’s relationship with God and through their relationship with God their relationship with the people around them can be enriched. We are created for love and self-sacrifice, an insight that contrasts sharply with the notion many have of the self-sufficient and unrelated individual. The ways we show solidarity with each other, our care for one another both in the Church and in the wider community are personal encounters. When we perform even small acts of kindness we are acting personally and not as robots; we reveal who we are as persons made by God with gifts he has given despite our own flaws.
Pope Francis places a lot on the rediscovery of joy and friendship that can be shared with one another as we enter deeply into the joy of knowing God. The synodal path so essential to the synod is paved by friendship and it is through the blessings of friendship that we overcome the divisions that limit our societies. God is love, we are loved by God and this insight gives us the grace to love our neighbour.