Throughout October, the bishops are gathering in Rome for the second assembly of the Synod on Synodality. They are listening to the truth that the Holy Spirit will reveal during these crucial days.
As we reflect on the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, we are reminded of the intimate conversation Jesus had with his apostles before returning to the Father.
He said: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15).
Jesus, knowing the apostles were filled with doubts, fears and uncertainties, promised them the Holy Spirit, who would guide them to the fullness of truth. The apostles may have wondered how they could fulfill the mission of going out to the whole world to share the Good News, but Jesus reassured them that the Holy Spirit would be their guide.
In a way, the apostles received the ultimate “GPS”—the Holy Spirit—to navigate the journey of the Church through centuries until Christ’s return. Just as a GPS knows the road ahead, the Holy Spirit knows the path that will bring us safely to the Father. From the very beginning, Christ’s Church, through the apostles and their successors, has walked with the assurance that the Holy Spirit guides and leads her through the different eras of history. Each period has been unique, marked by its crises. Yet, fully aware of God’s plan, the Holy Spirit has continuously revealed the answers and paths that allow the Church to move forward and overcome these challenges.
History shows us that this guidance has brought us to where we are today, led by the Spirit of Christ—the Spirit of truth. Today, the bishops, successors of the apostles, together with the Successor of St. Peter, have gathered to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church in this apostolic moment. In this synod, they seek to hear the Spirit’s guidance for humanity’s current crisis.
The Church of Jesus Christ does not walk alone or wander. It is not swayed by the modern shifts of today’s world. No, the Church of Christ has its spiritual “GPS,” which has never failed and never will. This guidance is faithful because it does not act independently but receives everything from the Father and the Son. God is at the helm of the Church, not man.
So, this month, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila invites us all to pray with him and the bishops of the universal Church for a sincere openness to the fullness of truth so that communion and harmony in the Holy Spirit may manifest in every Synod participant. May fears, personal ideas, or individual agendas neither impose themselves nor resist the tender action of the Holy Spirit so that the Church of Jesus Christ may continue to walk over the stormy waters of our time with the light and sure guidance of the Holy Spirit to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
