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Spiritual and Sacramental life
Come Holy Spirit!
36. "God's love has been poured into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 5:5).
When "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14),
God broke into human history so that we might become "partakers of the
divine nature" (2 Pt 1:4). Living in Christ implies a way of life
made new by the Spirit. Saint Paul speaks of putting on the new nature
"created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and
holiness" (Eph 4:24). The Church in Oceania has been endowed by the
Holy Spirit with many gifts. For all the great diversity of cultures and
traditions, she is one in faith, hope and charity, one in Catholic doctrine and
discipline, one in the communion of the Most Holy Trinity.(125)
In this communion, all are called to live the life of Christ in the midst of
their daily activities, to show forth the wonderful fruits of the Spirit (cf. Gal
5:22-23) and to be witnesses to God's love and mercy in the world.
The Spirit of Interiority
37. The Special Assembly emphasized the fundamental
importance for the Church in Oceania of prayer and the interior life in union
with Christ. Indigenous people have retained their appreciation of silence,
contemplation and a sense of mystery in life. The frenetic activity of modern
life with all its pressures makes it indispensable that Christians seek
prayerful silence and contemplation as both conditions for and expressions of a
vibrant faith. When God is no longer at the centre of human life, then life
itself becomes empty and meaningless.(126)
The Synod Fathers recognized the need to give fresh impetus and
encouragement to the spiritual life of all the faithful. Jesus himself often
"went off to a lonely place and prayed there" (Mk 1:35). The
Evangelist notes: "His reputation continued to grow, and large crowds
would gather to hear him and to have their sickness cured; he would always go
off to some place where he could be alone and pray" (Lk 5:15-16).
Jesus' prayer is our example, especially when we are caught up in the tensions
and responsibilities of daily life. The Synod Fathers emphasized the importance
of the life of prayer, considering the fact that the whole region faces the
growing impact of secularization and materialism; and as a stimulus to the
interior life, they encouraged visits to the Blessed Sacrament, the Stations of
the Cross, the Rosary and other devotional exercises, as well as prayers in the
family.(127) The presence in Oceania of communities of
contemplative life is an especially powerful reminder of the spirit of
interiority which helps us find the presence of God in our hearts. The spirit
of interiority is also crucial in inspiring and guiding pastoral initiatives.
It offers the strength of a genuinely apostolic love which mirrors the love of
God.
"Lectio Divina" and Scripture
38. The Church Aforcefully and specially exhorts all
the Christian faithful...to learn 'the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ' (Phil
3:8) by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures... Let them remember,
however, that prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that
a dialogue takes place between God and the reader. For 'we speak to him when we
pray; we listen to him when we read the divine oracles'".(128)
The word of God in the Old and New Testament is fundamental for all who believe
in Christ, and it is the inexhaustible wellspring of evangelization. Holiness
of life and effective apostolic activity are born of constant listening to
God's word. A renewed appreciation of Scripture allows us to return to the
sources of our faith and encounter God's truth in Christ. Acquaintance with the
Scriptures is required of all the faithful, but particularly of seminarians,
priests and religious. They are to be encouraged to engage in lectio divina,
that quiet and prayerful meditation on the Scripture that allows the word of
God to speak to the human heart. This form of prayer, privately or in groups,
will deepen their love for the Bible and make it an essential and life-giving
element of their daily lives.(129)
For this reason, the Scriptures need to be accessible to all in Oceania.
They need to be well and faithfully translated into the greatest possible
number of vernacular languages. Much highly commendable work of biblical
translation has already been done, but more still needs to be done. It is not
enough, however, to provide the many linguistic groups with a biblical text
which they can read; to help them understand what they read, there is a need
for solid and continuing biblical formation for all who are called to proclaim
and teach the word of God.(130)
Liturgy
39. The Synod Fathers reflected at length on the
importance of the liturgy in the local Churches in Oceania, and they expressed
the desire that the local Churches continue to foster their liturgical life so
that the faithful can enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ. They
recognized greater participation of the People of God in the liturgy as one of
the fruits of the Second Vatican Council, which has led in turn to a greater
sense of mission, as it was intended to do. Christian life has been invigorated
by a renewed understanding and appreciation of the liturgy, especially of the
Eucharistic Sacrifice. The Council saw the renewal of the liturgy as a process
of coming to an ever deeper understanding of the sacred rites, and in this
regard many local Churches are involved in a theoretical reflection and
practical actuation of a proper inculturation of the forms of worship, with due
regard for the integrity of the Roman Rite. Adequate translations of liturgical
texts and appropriate use of symbols drawn from local cultures can avert the
cultural alienation of indigenous people when they approach the Church's
worship.(131) The words and signs of the liturgy will be the
words and signs of their soul.
The Eucharist
40. The Eucharist completes Christian initiation and
is the source and summit of the Christian life. Christ is really and fully
present in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood, offered in sacrifice for the
life of the world and received in communion by the faithful. From the very
beginning, the Church has not ceased to obey the Lord's command, "Do this
in memory of me" (1 Cor11:24). The Catholics of Oceania understand
well the central place of the Eucharist in their lives. They realize that
regular and prayerful celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice enables them to
follow the path of personal holiness and to play their part in the Church's
mission. The Synod Fathers were quick to acknowledge this widespread
appreciation and intense love of the Church's greatest Sacrament.
They also expressed their concern that many communities throughout Oceania
go without the celebration of the Eucharist for long periods.(132)
There are many reasons for this: the growing scarcity of priests available for
pastoral ministry; especially in Australia, the growth of rural poverty and the
movement to cities, which leads to an ever decreasing population and the
isolation of many communities. The vast distances between many islands often
mean that it is impossible to have a resident priest. Many communities
therefore gather on the Lord's Day for services which are not celebrations of
the Eucharist; and there is a need for great wisdom and courage in addressing
this most regrettable situation. I make my own the Synod's insistence that
greater efforts be made to awaken vocations to the priestly life, and to
allocate priests throughout the region in a more equitable way.
The Sacrament of Penance
41. "It is important for us to reflect on the
fact that Christ wills the Sacrament of Penance to be the source and sign of
radical mercy, reconciliation and peace. The Church serves the world best when
she is precisely what she is meant to be: a reconciled and reconciling
community of Christ's disciples... The Church is never more herself than when
she meditates and reconciles, in the love and power of Jesus Christ, through
the Sacrament of Penance".(133) This is why the Synod
Fathers were grateful that in many of the Churches in Oceania the Sacrament of
Penance is widely practised and cherished as a source of healing grace.
Yet they also noted that in other local Churches there are serious pastoral
challenges with regard to this Sacrament. Especially in developed societies,
many of the faithful are confused or indifferent about the reality of sin and
the need for forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. At times, the true sense
of human freedom is not understood. The recovery of the fundamental place of
the Sacrament of Penance in the life of the People of God was a deep desire of
the Bishops. They urged "that a more extensive catechesis be offered on
personal responsibility, the reality of sin and the Sacrament of Reconciliation
so as to remind Catholics of the loving mercy of Jesus Christ made available
through this Sacrament and of the need for sacramental absolution for serious
sin committed after Baptism; that, because of the assistance to spiritual
progress provided by this Sacrament, priests are to be encouraged not only to
make the Sacrament of Reconciliation an important part of their own lives, but
to ensure its availability on a regular basis as a vital part of their ministry
to the faithful".(134) The experience of the Great
Jubilee suggests that the time has come for such a renewed catechesis and
practice of the great Sacrament of mercy.
Anointing of the Sick
42. Christ's compassionate love is offered in a special
way to the sick and suffering. This is reflected in the care which the Church
extends to all who are suffering in body and spirit. The renewed Liturgy of the
Sick has been a most positive contribution to the life of those who are in
situations where life is endangered: serious illness, lifeBthreatening surgery
or old age. The elderly often suffer from the pain of isolation and loneliness.
Community celebrations of this Sacrament are of great help and consolation to
the sick and suffering, and a source of hope for those who accompany them. In a
special way, the Synod Fathers wanted to thank all who support the sick and
dying. Theirs is a precious witness to the love of Christ himself at a time
when the sick and dying can be made to seem a burden.(135)
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