Archbishop’s Weekly Word: Holy Spirit, our guide. Mary, our mother.

I am grateful that we felt the maternal presence of Mary, Mother of the Church, as we gathered for our Synod Assembly this past weekend. Her image, a copy of the mosaic from St. Peter’s Square, hung prominently in the fieldhouse at Cretin-Derham Hall as a wonderful reminder for the 450 Synod members — clergy, consecrated women and men, and lay faithful from parishes across the archdiocese — of what can happen when we follow Mary in living according to God’s word. Under Mary’s protective mantle, we prayed together for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit and shared with each other our experiences of — and hopes for — this local church.

Mary surely knew that the Holy Spirit was a source of surprise. Her life was turned upside down by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. With that in mind, I was waiting to see what surprises the Holy Spirit would reveal for me and for this local church at the Synod. I came away so moved by the way that the Holy Spirit gently led the Assembly in their consideration of the eight propositions being considered, enabling them to coalesce on the importance of supporting discipleship in daily life, promoting welcome and hospitality in our parishes, and providing comprehensive faith formation, all with a real attentiveness to the particular needs of youth and young adults. The peace that characterized the discussions could only be attributed to the Holy Spirit and to Mary’s intercession.

Throughout the Synod Assembly, I couldn’t help but feel some closeness to the apostles, who had gathered in the Upper Room with Mary and in their time needed to pray and discern how the young Church could move forward after receiving Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations.” I’m so grateful for the fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit that has been gifted to this archdiocese in this, our time, and I feel confident that the Spirit will continue to reveal to us the many fruits of our local Synod in the coming months and years.

Thank you to all who attended as Synod members, planned the event, volunteered in some capacity, or prayed for the success of Synod. It’s clear to me that the Holy Spirit called each of you to be part of this important moment for our archdiocese and blessed you with unique charisms – God-given gifts – for the building up of the Church.

As we conclude the Easter season, I encourage you to rest a while longer in this experience of Pentecost and listen to how the Lord may be asking you to use your unique charisms – in your home life, in your work, and in your parish. Saint Paul reminds us that through the Holy Spirit we are one body with many parts, each of which is tasked with an irreplaceable role.

Discovering our gifts – our charisms – is a worthwhile journey. We need to remember that the Holy Spirit has called us all to use our charisms to proclaim the Good News in this time and place. I hope that you will watch for opportunities in the weeks and months to come, to participate in a Life in the Spirit seminar or the School of Charism Discovery, as planned by my vicar for charisms, Father Michael Becker. Or perhaps you could consider attending a Called and Gifted™ Workshop as one step in your lifelong journey of spiritual growth and service. May the Holy Spirit lovingly guide you and our local church.

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