“It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and us …”

In recent years, we have become more familiar with the word “synodality” as referring to a way of walking together and listening to the Holy Spirit to follow His voice and inspirations in the Church today. We hear in the Acts of the Apostles: “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common” (4:32).

At first, we might get the impression that the oneness of heart and mind meant that there were no disagreements among the disciples and apostles, and they were living in a kind of utopian community. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Within twenty years, the newborn Church would have to discuss some very pertinent issues and come to a clearer discernment of God’s will. The Council of Jerusalem in chapter 15 of the Acts of the Apostles is a great example of some of the earliest disagreements among members of this new community. It is inspiring to hear the account of how they came to the decision not to require circumcision for the new Gentile converts. 

The apostles and disciples met in Jerusalem, and three significant things happened. First, they listened to their various experiences, and “after much debate” (15:7), Peter gave two accounts of God’s work among the non-Jewish believers, and Paul and Barnabas shared their experience of preaching to the Gentiles. Secondly, in between these accounts, “the assembly fell silent” (15:12), allowing time for interior reflection. Thirdly, the apostle James opens the Scriptures and gives a kind of Lectio Divina, thus allowing the Word of God to guide their reflection. Three ways of listening emerge: a) sharing of experience, b) silent reflection, and c) turning to the Word of God. Then comes their decision. It is written that they were “in accord” (15:25) and even had the bold confidence to say that “it is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us…” (15:28).
The account in Acts of the First Council appears, at first, harmless enough and the “much debate” as simply inconsequential hubbub. However, St. Paul recollects in his Letter to the Galatians 2:4-5 that certain false “brothers” wormed their way into the debate. Whatever ‘agenda’ they were attempting to impose was thwarted and it was the Holy Spirit that prevailed. This, indeed, should give us the confidence and hope we need to move forward in our synodal way of communal discernment.  
Fr. Brady Williams, SOLTIt should be noted that in communal discernment, not every opinion or experience is equally valid. Each person needs to have the proper disposition to listen to the Holy Spirit. As well, it must be identified that what we are discerning communally is good, right, and just. To try to discern anything that would undermine or change essential Church teachings is not discernment at all. We are trying to discern God’s will, not ours. Also, the result is not to come to a consensus for the sake of placating everyone. We should not be afraid of conflict. There should be ‘much debate’ and good conflict in our communal discernment as long as it focuses on discovering God’s will.

For this to really happen, ‘falling silent’ is essential. St. Ignatius of Loyola, in his rules for discerning God’s will, proposes that through prayer and meditation, the person comes to be ‘like a balance at equilibrium,’ not swayed by his/her passions or prejudices for one choice or another, but rather able to be moved toward that choice to which the Holy Spirit is leading. It may take days, weeks, or even months to come to such freedom of will. If I am able to come to a point where I am more disposed to the movement of the Holy Spirit, then I can be ready to listen to His direction. At this point, the Word of God can find good soil so that we can encounter the Lord in our communal discernment process. The Word of God will convict us, convert us, call us to repentance, renew us, and confirm the choice that the Holy Spirit is indicating.

Listening to one another, to our hearts, to the Spirit, and to the Word of God provides us with a pattern of communal discernment in harmony with the early Church and the synodal way proposed by our Holy Father, Pope Francis for the Church today.