This particular synod taking place in Rome today is part 1 of 2 that will take place in 2014 and 2015 to discuss the family and the crisis in family that has occurred. Pope Francis opened the synod with a prayer and an explanation of the expectations of the gathering. "Today the Prophet Isaiah and the Gospel employ the image of the Lord’s vineyard. The Lord’s vineyard is his “dream”, the plan which he nurtures with all his love, like a farmer who cares for his vineyard. Vines are plants which need much care! God’s “dream” is his people. He planted it and nurtured it with patient and faithful love, so that it can become a holy people, a people which brings forth abundant fruits of justice."
We see a call to follow God's dream for His people and in the new evangelization that call is for all of us who proclaim Christ to care for His vineyard. A special calling on the clergy is given to lead and guide but we are each called to be that holy people that the bishop of Rome is referring to.
Pope Francis explained: "We too, in the synod of bishops, are called to work for the Lord’s vineyard. Synod assemblies are not meant to discuss beautiful and clever ideas, or to see who is more intelligent… They are meant to better nurture and tend the Lord’s vineyard, to help realize his dream, his loving plan for his people. In this case the Lord is asking us to care for the family, which has been from the beginning an integral part of his loving plan for humanity."
Not only are we called but we are challenged. As Francis further explained we are tempted by greed and many other things in our work to further the gospel but we must be repentant and let the Holy Spirit lead us. Francis explained "We are all sinners and can also be tempted to “take over” the vineyard, because of that greed which is always present in us human beings. God’s dream always clashes with the hypocrisy of some of his servants. We can “thwart” God’s dream if we fail to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us that wisdom which surpasses knowledge, and enables us to work generously with authentic freedom and humble creativity.
My Synod brothers, to do a good job of nurturing and tending the vineyard, our hearts and our minds must be kept in Jesus Christ by “the peace of God which passes all understanding” (Phil 4:7). In this way our thoughts and plans will correspond to God’s dream: to form a holy people who are his own and produce the fruits of the kingdom of God."
Friends how much is this challenge also for us. How often do we thwart God by taking over and opening ourselves open to hypocrisy. I am so blessed to have a sweet friend, Jessie who was sharing just today with me how the convenience of hypocrisy is all around us and we must be strong and bold to stand up for our faith despite the consequences. We can not be people of God and not proclaim Him with our lives and our families. We can't love Him and reject His plan for us.
We see so much our world has let family fall apart. Talking with someone last week we learned she doesn't know one couple who has not been divorced. Reflecting on my own family I know one, but they are functionally divorced sharing separate bedrooms in their home. Circumstances happen: abuse, death, challenges, and the challenge of satan to destroy the family is prominent. With the increase of cohabitation, pre-marital sex, divorce and pornography being seen as normal and good, and "bad" being prudence and chastity we see a contradiction. Friends, the hope of this synod is to remind us the importance of family and to receive an encouragement of our clergy and our world to support marriage and family. When you strengthen marriage, you strengthen family and when you strengthen family you strengthen the community. When the community is stronger the world is stronger.
Friends start in your own home: your own marriage, your own family. This is step one to changing the world for the glory of God. We are called to live for Him in all that we do.
You can read the full homily by Pope Francis here: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/10/05/family-synod-full-text-of-franciss-homily-at-opening-mass/
I'm praying for you friends. Let our lives be a living offering to Him. Let's change the world and start by looking in the mirror.
Friends let us be praying for this Synod that it will be a reminder to us and the world how important family and marriage is and what a gift these are from God. Let us be praying that the Holy Spirit will guide our families and our lives into truth and that we will be a people holy and righteous before God.
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