When the day of Pentecost had come, the [disciples] were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages. (Acts 2:1–4)
Over the last few months, all of us in the Archdiocese of Melbourne have been invited to ‘Take the Way of the Gospel’ and to reimagine our parishes working together as Missions—vibrant, vital communities energetically proclaiming the Gospel in their local contexts.
It is a significant journey that our local Church has been asked to embark on, and this can make us feel excited and hopeful, but also apprehensive and concerned. That is why Archbishop Peter A Comensoli, in his ‘Take the Way of the Gospel’ pastoral letter, calls us to ‘start this journey in prayer—together’.
Before the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and were able to go out and bring the Good News to all the nations, they were huddled in an upper room, praying and waiting for the fulfilment of the promise that Jesus made before his ascension. The new Church had to encounter the Lord before it could proclaim him. Over the coming weeks, all of us are invited to gather in our own ‘upper rooms’, immersing ourselves in prayer and discerning the way ahead for the mission of our local Church.
In recent weeks—well before they begin to consider structures and strategies—parishes have been gathering, talking to each other, praying and discerning how they might best respond to the call for spiritual renewal. To assist this process, a range of resources have been made available, including a prayer session template titled ‘Together we Pray’ and online discernment workshop called ‘Beginning the Journey’. Parishes can either join central sessions run online or use the resources to organise their own local offerings with templates and resources available on the ‘Take the Way of the Gospel’ webpage.
‘Together we Pray’ session
At St Simon’s Parish in Rowville, parishioners have gathered together to pray for their parish and the Archdiocese. One participant observed that it was ‘good to have focused time to pray for our Church family and wider community’. Similarly, at St Peter Apostle in Hoppers Crossing, a group of young adults used the resources provided to pray for the work ahead, and parishioners who gathered recently for a prayer session at St James the Apostle in Hoppers Crossing North observed that having the opportunity to gather in this way helped them feel included in the journey.
A series of prayers of the faithful are also available for parishes to download and use at Masses, along with a ‘Take the Way of the Gospel’ prayer card.
Beginning the Journey workshop
Online workshops are also being offered to provide participants with an opportunity to listen carefully to the ‘Take the Way of the Gospel’ pastoral letter and to prayerfully discern and ponder how we are each being called by the Holy Spirit into a renewed way of being in our local Church.
After Fr Martin Tanti SDB and parishioners from Our Lady of the Southern Cross Parish in Clifton Hill and Collingwood participated in the ‘Beginning the Journey’ workshop, they held their own Zoom meeting to break open the pastoral letter. Participants appreciated having a ‘platform to share’ their thoughts and concerns.
An accompanying resource for parish use includes a leader’s guide and a participant’s guide, both available on the ‘Take the Way of the Gospel’ webpage. For those who wish to experience the workshop themselves before offering and leading it in their parishes, more online workshops will be run by the Archdiocese on Wednesday 14 July, 10.30am–12.00pm, or on Thursday 22 July, 7.30–9.00pm. Registration is available through the webpage link above.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.
