The Lord Walking with Us Together

Eucharist and Synodality. These two words are not easily defined, but are shaping my life and the way of our church these days. Specifically the Eucharistic Revival  and the Synod on Synodality are two major events in our Catholic Church this year that are helping define our path forward. And honestly, sometimes it feels like they are splitting us apart. Based on articles and online posts, people seem to be embracing one, and hating the other. But are these movements actually polarities pulling us apart or are they a unity that can bring us together and help us deepen our faith? 

For many of my family and friends, Eucharist and Synodality are complete mysteries. To me, they are both a deeper call to unite my life to Christ, to serve those on the margins, and to see Christ in those around me. Eucharist is literally the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, and the Eucharistic Revival is a grassroots movement for the Church to proclaim and reclaim its true power. Synodality is the Church, the People of God, gathering together in assembly to proclaim the Gospel.

Even as I define them I notice a similarity between the revival and the synod. They are both communal movements of the People of God proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. When the Vatican Ambassador, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, spoke to the Bishops of the United States last November he commented about these similarities. “Eucharistic revival and Synodality go together,” Pierre stated. “Or to put it another way, I believe that we will have true Eucharistic revival when we experience the Eucharist as the sacrament of Christ’s incarnation: as the Lord walking with us together on the way.”  

“The Lord walking with us together on the way.” This is what resonates with me. Eucharist has changed my life. Real presence is immediate and tangible to me, and it draws me out of myself. When Pope Francis was speaking of Eucharistic adoration, he stated that in adoration Christ becomes the center of our life, which means that we stop being the center of our own life. When that happens we are automatically drawn to the margins to be with people who are not “centered” by our modern society. 

Synodality is sometimes harder for me to wrap my head around, but I believe that it is a way of being church together that we have been practicing for many years and that now we are called to live in an even deeper way.  Many say that the Synod on Synodality is the continuation of Vatican II. As someone born a decade after Vatican II, that is an abstract concept for me. What I do know is that it seems to be a profound listening of the global church that is needed at this time. Do we truly hear each other? Are we following Jesus and working together to build the Kingdom of God, or are we in our separate camps casting stones at each other?   

I think there is a deep intuition in the human soul that we are all connected and that in times of crisis we need to strengthen that connection. The Revival and the Synod are both ways to draw nearer to Christ and bring God’s kingdom here on Earth. They are movements that are accessible and active, trying to bring us closer together. 

So why do they seem to be driving us apart? Partially responsible are both the secular and Catholic media which thrive on drama and division. Also we tend to conflate political platforms with religious ideals. This is dangerous and insulates us from the unifying power of faith. 

These two short videos show the positive and constructive power of these movements in our global church. 

The National Eucharistic Revival:

Synod on Synodality 2024: Uniting the Church in Mission | Key Themes & Insights:

We are called to not isolate further but to seek out what seems different from us. If you are drawn to one of these movements, try checking out the other one. Attend an event, read a document, or have a discussion with a friend. Most of all, each of these movements is a call to personal and communal transformation. I am a different person because of how I have been touched by Eucharist and Synodality. I am called to leave my own safety and embrace the path towards deeper unity and continual conversion. God bless! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Hennessey is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She grew up in North Carolina as an active Quaker and became Catholic in 2000. For her, Jesus’ messy business includes falling in love with Christ AND with the People of God! Her heart is on fire for her Franciscan community, poetry and singing and accompanying people through birth, death and the living that comes in between. She currently ministers as a spiritual director at Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse.