‘For the Synod’

“Let us pray for the Church, that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a style of life at every level, allowing herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the world’s peripheries.” This is Pope Francis’ invitation in the prayer intention for the month of October.

In the video, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Holy Father reflects on how the synodal dynamic carries forward the Church’s missionary vocation.

“Through prayer and discernment, the Holy Spirit helps us carry out the ‘apostolate of the ear’, that is, listening with God’s ears in order to speak with the word of God,” he says, noting that, “thus, we draw near to the heart of Christ. Our mission and the voice that draws us to him spring from him.”

Pope Francis concludes by saying that “this voice reveals to us that the heart of mission is to reach out to everyone, to seek everyone, to welcome everyone, to involve everyone, without excluding anyone” and inviting all believers to pray for the Church during the Synod, “that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a style of life at every level, allowing herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the world’s peripheries.”

The General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality began on Wednesday, 4 October 2023, following a two-year process that started in September 2021 when the Vatican released a preparatory document and instructions on preparing for the gathering. Hundreds of Catholics from around the world then met in their parishes to discuss the questions posed by the Synod.