When faced with a vast, hungry crowd, the disciples questioned how to feed them with limited resources in the desert
In preparation for the Synod on Synodality, a spiritual retreat in anticipation of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began on the evening of September 30 and concluded after the dinner on October 3.
This retreat involved a variety of components, including the celebration of Holy Mass, moments of both communal and individual prayer, periods of contemplative silence, and guided sessions led by Mother Ignazia Angelini and Father Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.
Father Radcliffe conducted a series of six meditations, each with a specific focus designed to prepare the participants for the Synod.
Timothy Peter Joseph Radcliffe, OP, born on August 22, 1945, is a Catholic clergyman and Dominican friar of English origin.
He held the esteemed position of master within the Order of Preachers from 1992 to 2001, being the sole individual from the English Province of the order to attain this role.
Radcliffe also took on the role of director at the Las Casas Institute, situated at Blackfriars, Oxford. This institute is dedicated to advocating for social justice and human rights.
Additionally, he has shown his support for initiatives aimed at fostering inclusion and outreach to the LGBTQ+ Catholic community.
In his initial meditation, titled “Hoping Against Hope,” Father Radcliffe encouraged the participants to implore God to liberate their hearts from fear.
He observed that, for some, this fear was rooted in the anxiety of change, while for others, it stemmed from the concern that nothing would change.
He also emphasized that through active listening to the Lord and one another, and by seeking to understand His intentions for the Church and the world, they would discover a shared hope that transcended their differences.
Below are some excerpts of his reflection:
“This retreat gives them the courage and hope to set off on their journey. It does not always go well. They immediately fail to free the young lad from the evil spirit.
“They quarrel about who is the greatest. They misunderstand the Lord. But they are on their way with a fragile hope.
“So we too prepare for our synod by going on retreat where, like the disciples, we learn to listen to the Lord.
“When we set off in three days’ time, we shall often be like those disciples, and misunderstand each other and even quarrel. But the Lord will lead us onwards towards the death and resurrection of the Church.
“Let us ask the Lord to give us hope too: the hope that this synod will lead to a renewal of the Church and not division; the hope that we shall draw closer to each other as brothers and sisters.
“This is our hope not just for the Catholic Church but for all our baptized brothers and sisters. People talk of an ‘ecumenical winter’. We hope for an ecumenical spring.
“We also gather in hope for humanity. The future looks grim. Ecological catastrophe threatens the destruction of our home. Wildfires and floods have devoured the world this summer.
“Small islands begin to disappear under the sea. Millions of people are on the road fleeing from poverty and violence. Hundreds have drowned in the Mediterranean not far from here.
“Many parents refuse to bring children into a world that appears doomed. In China, young people wear T-shirts saying, ‘We are the last generation’. Let us gather in hope for humanity, especially hope for the young.”
Radcliff also discusses the challenge of finding common hope within a group, drawing parallels to the conflicting hopes of the disciples of Jesus.
Despite their varying individual hopes, they continued to walk together.
The central question raised is, “What shared hope can we have?” He emphasizes the need to reconcile contradictory hopes and find a unifying aspiration for the Church and humanity.
Radcliff then observes that in the context of a Synodal journey, it’s natural to worry about whether any meaningful progress is being made.
The media might perceive it as mere talk without concrete actions, focusing on a few contentious issues. However, we can draw inspiration from the disciples during the first synod who initially appeared ineffective, even trying to hinder a blind man’s healing.
When faced with a vast, hungry crowd, the disciples questioned how to feed them with limited resources in the desert.
But just as Jesus made do with seven loaves and a few fish to feed the multitude, our generosity and contributions during the Synod will be more than sufficient.
Trusting in the Lord’s provision for the harvest is key.
As a final note, he says even as people have different hopes and divisions, but by listening to the Lord and each other while seeking to understand God’s will for the Church and the world, they can find unity in a transcendent hope.