Praying together by listening to the Word of God | Synod on Synodality

Julian Paparella

Monday, December 16, 2024

Jesus and two travellers walking a path in a grassy field

"Road to Emmaus," Fritz von Uhde. Wikimedia Commons.

What has your experience been of praying with others? Maybe we pray at home with our families. Maybe we pray at our parishes, during Mass. Have you ever prayed with others using the Bible, Sacred Scripture, the Word of God?

At every Mass, we as Catholics hear the Word of God proclaimed – from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament, and in particular the Gospels. We hear what God has done in the life of his people throughout history. If we let it, the Word of God can speak to our hearts and shed light on our lives, even though sometimes it can be difficult to pay attention to or even understand.

God knows that his Word can be difficult for us. We see this in the Gospel passage of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). It’s the day of the resurrection, but the disciples are having trouble believing that Jesus is in fact risen from the dead. So, he comes to them as they walk together on the way, leaving Jerusalem and heading home to Emmaus, where they’re from. Jesus comes to meet them, and as the Gospel tells us, explains to them everything about himself in the Scriptures, making their hearts burn within them as he speaks to them along the way (v. 32).

Some of the best meetings I ever had took place when I worked as a coordinator of youth ministry. Every few months there was a gathering of youth ministers and chaplains from neighbouring parishes in the same sector of the diocese, bringing together a diverse group of people: lay people and priests, women and men, young and young at heart. At the start of every meeting, before we got down to business, we would begin by breaking up into small groups and pray together by reflecting on a passage from the Word of God. This would change the whole dynamic of the meeting, and set the tone for the conversations that followed. Listening together to God’s Word, praying with it, and reflecting upon it together had the effect of illuminating our experiences of life and ministry in the light of faith and uniting us more closely with Christ and with one another.

When we listen to God’s Word together, Christ comes to walk with us. Our hearts become more attuned to follow where he is leading us.

Experiences of coming together and sharing about life and faith are deeply nourishing for our souls and for our communities. Praying together with the Word of God is like fertilizer that deepens our relationship with God and with each other. We can reflect on God’s Word in our homes, with our family members, among friends, and in our church communities. Praying with the Word of God is a great way to start meetings and events in our parishes and dioceses.

Let’s find ways to take up the challenge of letting God’s Word reach our hearts and set them on fire.

Lord, come to us as you came to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Speak to us and set us on fire with you. Amen.