“We are community.” This is one thing the Pope says to us for the month of October.
Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of walking together, making ourselves “co-responsible for the Church’s mission.” He also emphasises that priests are not “the bosses of the laity, but their pastors,” and that “Jesus called us, one and others – not one above others, or one on one side and others on another side, but complementing each other. We are community.”
This is why consecrated persons, the laity, priests, all Christians must “witness with our lives,” always giving the best of what they know how to do.
In a few brief sentences in the Pope Video, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network in collaboration with the Diocese of Brooklyn and the General Secretariat for the Synod, and with the support of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network Foundation, Pope Francis summarises this message of such great importance: “We are co-responsible in mission, we participate and we live in the communion of the Church.”
“Let us pray that the Church continue to sustain a synodal lifestyle in every way, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the participation, communion and mission shared by priests, religious and laity.”
We Christians are all responsible for the Church’s mission. Every priest. Everyone.
We priests are not the bosses of the laity, but their pastors. Jesus called us, one and others – not one above others, or one on one side and others on another side, but complementing each other. We are community. That is why we need to walk together, taking the path of synodality.
Sure, you could ask me, What can I do as a bus driver? A farmer? A fisher? What all of us need to do is to witness with our lives. Be co-responsible for the Church’s mission.
The laity, the baptised are in the Church, in their own home, and need to take care of it. So do we priests and consecrated persons. Everyone contributes what they know how to do best. We are co-responsible in mission, we participate and we live in the communion of the Church.
Let us pray that the Church continue to sustain a synodal lifestyle in every way, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the participation, communion and mission shared by priests, religious and laity.
By the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostolate of Prayer and the Eucharistic Youth Movement): https://www.popesprayer.va. To see other videos and content about the Pope’s prayer intentions, go to: https://www.thepopevideo.org/.
In collaboration with Vatican Media, and the Diocese of Brooklyn, and the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network Foundation.
