Living the synodal process as an MCR team

As part of a participation in the process and an experience lived in movement, the Mouvement Chrétien des Retraités (MCR) of the diocese of Evreux (Normandy region west of Paris) of which I am a member has taken up the subject and has planned to work in several stages.

As a first step, the diocesan committee met last November and decided to mobilize its members as follows:

"By our reflection on 'walking together in our movement'  enlightened by the Holy Spirit whom we will not fail to invoke, we are asked to express ourselves on what we are currently experiencing, what we think, what we wish... In short, we are invited to give a constructive opinion in order to "initiate a process that will not stop". The word is given to us, let us take it as we are invited, we, among others, Christians of the MCR movement of the Diocese of Évreux.

At its last meeting, on November 26, the diocesan committee of the MCR of Évreux studied the way forward. After a vote of the participants, the choice fell on two themes among the ten proposed which are:

2) Listen

Listening is the first step, but requires having an open mind and heart, without prejudice. To whom does your parish, team, group have "a lack of listening"? How are the laity listened to, especially young people and women? How do you integrate the contribution of consecrated men and women? What place does the voice of minorities, the marginalized and the excluded occupy? Can you identify the prejudices and stereotypes that stand in the way of listening to you? How do you listen to the social and cultural context in which you live?

5) Co-leaders in the mission

Synodality is at the service of the Church's mission, in which all its members are called to participate. Since we are all missionary disciples, how is every baptized person summoned to be an actor in the mission? How does the community support its members who are  engaged in a service within society (social  and political commitment, commitment to scientific research and teaching, in the service of the promotion of human rights and the safeguarding  of the Common Home, etc.)? How does the community help to live these commitments  in a missionary dynamic? How is discernment made about missionary choices and who participates in them? How have the various traditions of synodal style, which constitute the heritage of many Churches, especially the Eastern Churches, been integrated and adapted with a view to a fruitful Christian witness?

What you are offered to do:

1 - You choose, in a meeting, only one of the themes, either n°2 or n°5, and you inform the Diocesan Responsible of your choice, as soon as possible. (And, if you have time, you can also work on the second one.)

2 – To work on this theme, you schedule one or two meetings of your team in January and February.

3 – During these specific meetings, outside the annual booklet, you exchange with each other on the basis of the questions asked. It's not so much about answering questions as it is about using them to fuel your exchanges, trying to make sure that everyone can express themselves.

4– You can begin each meeting with the prayer to the Holy Spirit proposed for this synodal process. Then you read a Gospel passage according to the chosen theme (Theme No. 2 = Lk 6:36-38; Theme n°5 = Lk 10, 1-5.17-20)

5 – The report of your exchanges must be put in writing and sent to the Diocesan Leader before Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

The diocesan committee will meet on February 24 for a work of appropriation of your reports. Your documents will then be sent to the diocese that will study them, with feedback from parishes, services and other movements of our diocese.

A pre-synodal assembly will be held on March 12 and the summary diocesan document of about ten pages will be provided by the diocese to the Conference of Bishops of France which will then follow to Rome.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.

With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts.

Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.

We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.

Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.

Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.

All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever.

Amen

Page prepared by Monika Ptak