The document (A Synodal Church in Mission: Synthesis Report) makes clear that formation is not just for the ordained, nor something done only on Sunday at Mass.By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter
“What now? The first session of the two-year synod in Rome has finished its work and published a final document. It offers ideas to guide the church in the next 11 months before the second session gathers in Rome next autumn. What does the task look like for the church here in the United States?
“The final document has some very specific proposals, and the section on formation especially has some clues about how to proceed.
“The text gives us the model for formation. ‘The way in which Jesus formed the disciples constitutes the model we need to follow. He did not merely impart teaching but he shared his life with them,’ the document states. ‘Through the example of his own prayer, he drew from them the request: ‘Teach us to pray.’ By feeding the crowds, he taught them not to dismiss the needy. By walking to Jerusalem, he showed the way to the Cross.’ None of that is easy.
“In our busy world, making time to pray is a challenge. It requires us all, from bishop to ‘C&E Catholics,’ to be willing to be taught. In our self-centered, consumerized culture, showing people the way to the cross is never easy. It is impossible unless we encounter with compassion those whose crosses are many or especially burdensome, and learn from them.
“The document makes clear that formation is not just for the ordained, nor something done only on Sunday at Mass.”
By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …