5 October 2014 - Synod on the Family - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

On this week's programme John, Shane and Lorraine discuss the Extraordinary Synod on the Family which is being held in Rome from October 5th to 19th.  The official title of this Synod is "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelisation."  This is the second Synod on the Family.  The first was held by St. John Paul II in 1980 which resulted in the publication of the Apostolic Exhortation On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World Familiaris Consortio.  

The role of the Extraordinary Synod is to "define the status quaestionis (“current situation”) and to collect the bishops’ experiences and proposals in proclaiming and living the Gospel of the Family in a credible manner."  This will be followed by a second Synod on the Family next year which will "'reflect further on the points discussed so as to formulate appropriate pastoral guidelines' for the pastoral care of the person and the family."  The discussion on the Synod on the Family excerpted from the programme is available HERE.  

Quite a lot has been written on the Synod over the last few months.  Here is a quick synopsis:

• Matthew Bunson offers a very useful "Synod on the Family: A Primer" over on Our Sunday Visitor HERE.

• The Working Document (Instrumentum Laboris) for the Synod is available HERE and the Preparatory Document is available HERE.

• The Pontificium Consilium pro Familia offer an overview of the documents of the Synod HERE.

• Ann Schneible of the Catholic News Agency tries to get beyond the media hype on the Synod HERE.

• The National Catholic Reporter, Patheos and Crux gather together a number of articles and comment pieces on the Synod HERE, HERE and HERE.

• Fr Raymond De Souza outlines the possible implications and the importance of the Synod HERE.

• The Irish Catholic offers comment and analysis HERE and HERE.

• La Stampa features an interview with Cardinal Walter Kasper on the Synod HERE.

• The National Catholic Reporter, The Tablet and the Catholic News Service report on Cardinal George Pell's disagreement with the theology of Cardinal Kasper HERE, HERE and HERE.

• George Weigel believes we need a Synod of Affirmation HERE.

Of course the most important thing we can do is pray for those involved in the Synod that they may be open to the Holy Spirit:

Prayer to the Holy Family for the Synod

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

in you we contemplate

the splendour of true love,

to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that our families too

may be places of communion and prayer,

authentic schools of the Gospel

and small domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may families never again

experience violence, rejection and division:

may all who have been hurt or scandalized

find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may the approaching Synod of Bishops

make us once more mindful

of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,

and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.

You can listen to the full podcast of this week's programme HERE.

Gospel - Matthew 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:

‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. 

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives’.
Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

Jesus said to them,
‘Have you never read in the scriptures:
It was the stone rejected by the builders
that became the keystone.
This was the Lord’s doing
and it is wonderful to see?

I tell you, then,
that the kingdom of God will be taken from you
and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’


Reflections on today's Gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds and ends

Pope's Intentions for October

General: Peace. That the Lord may grant peace to those parts of the world most battered by war and violence.

Missionary: World Mission Day.  That World Mission Day may rekindle in every believer zeal for carrying the Gospel into all the world.

The Pope's Intentions for the year are available on EWTN HERE.

Saints of the Week

October 6th - St. Bruno
October 7th - Our Lady of the Rosary
October 8th - St. Pelagia
October 9th - Blessed John Henry Newman
October 10th - St. Francis Borgia
October 11th - St. John XXII