The final session of the synod on synodality with the theme “for a synodal church, communion, participation, mission” started on 1st October 2024. In the instrumentum laboris for the final session we read that three years the church was on the road. It means that the church was searching ways and means to become a synodal church giving supreme importance for mutuality, dialogue, participation and communion. “Walking together” is the style the church has adopted. Consultation of the people of God, discernment of the pastors and implementation for a synodal church are the three phases of it. End of October the synod will end. This October’s synod will mainly focus on the key question of “How to be a synodal church in mission?” Let us pray for the success of the synod and for the grace of God that the church leaders be able to implement the views, vision and suggestions of the synod. Let it not be a waste of time, energy and money for all concerned.
In today’s gospel we heard about two themes. On the first part Jesus spoke about the unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond. The Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes from today’s gospel passage from the gospel of Mark in order to establish the sacramentality and indissolubility of married life. Today it seems to be difficult for many people to keep this law of life. But it is understandable to keep this principle which will cause more harmony, love and happiness in the personal and community levels.
Family life is also a “walking together” as the Pope Francis spoke of the Catholics Church. Since the family is considered as the basic unit of the church, many of the characteristics of the church should reflect in a family. Just as one becomes a member of the church through baptism the marital bond is indissoluble even if they do not want to keep the bond. To keep the unity of this indissoluble bond the practice of mutuality, dialogue and communion needed just as the synod thinks of it to keep the unity and integrity of the church.
Another theme of today gospel is the appeal of Jesus: “ let the children come to me. do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
Amen, I say to you,
whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child
will not enter it.” Jesus shows extra ordinary care for children. He loved the children and blessed them. He advices us to be open, trusting and loving like children and to become childlike.
There is a beautiful poem written by the famous Libanese writer Qhalil Jibran on children.
“Your children are not your children.
They are sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For thir souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the make upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness.
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He also loves the bow that is stable.”
Both in dealing with the children and in keeping the integrity and communion in married life an important attitude is what Qalil Jibran writes about the children: Your children are not your children. They are sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. It means we are not possessing our children. Any kind of possessiveness will destroy true relationship. People are those whom God has given us to care and to protect.
What Jesus says about family and children is applicable for our church too. Let us pray for the success of the final session of the synod on synodality. Let us pray for our family in order that the family may reflect the unity and integrity of the church and vice versa.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS