The following are excerpts from my homily of the Mass concluding the Third Synod of the Diocese of Sacramento, October 9, 2006, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Diocesan Synod is already showing itself to be like a “second spring” — a new blossoming of the spiritual and pastoral life of the Diocese. As members of the Synod, you have raised to first priority for the Diocese the handing on of the faith — at all levels, especially to the young, to families, to those of ethnic communities. You call us to work and pray harder for local vocations. You remind us of an essential outreach to the poor. You call us to greater collaboration, to lay apostolate, lay ministry, shared responsibility and mutual accountability. For two years you have already been facilitating the implementation of the synodal initiatives in the parishes, deaneries, and in the Diocese at large.

Earlier this year there were gatherings of all the leaders in each deanery to discuss and strategize on vocations, youth ministry, lay formation. We have been calling forth the gifts of the laity in parish pastoral councils; in diocesan councils, commissions, boards; and in the beginnings of deanery councils. We have had convocations of priests. We have distributed diocesan policies and guidelines and we are now completing diocesan statutes, so that the “rules for the journey” are clear and our diocesan norms consistently observed throughout the Diocese. There has been good progress in collaborating at all levels, in networking and sharing of resources….

When I promulgated the pastoral priorities and other documents of the pastoral phase of the Synod on January 9, 2005, I, in effect, commissioned the members of the Synod to engage the rest of the faithful of the Diocese in dialogue around the eight pastoral priorities. You have been doing precisely this for over a year and a half as the above accomplishments indicate. The second and third solemn sessions have been reporting on that dialogue and encouraging everyone to help implement the Synod’s directives….

We know, of course, that the process of becoming the ideal Church, the fully redeemed and formed Body of Christ, is always a work in progress; that it will never be complete until we get to God. Therefore, as we conclude the Synod, we are aware that it will require effort to maintain our focus and to keep following through….But, the Lord will not desert us. “Behold, I am with you all days until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20) The Spirit will continue to speak and work through all of us, if we stay immersed in prayer, constantly renewing our commitment, staying open to the special graces that the Spirit distributes for renewing and upbuilding his Church.

We are ready for the hard work ahead, I believe, — to “put out into the deep….Inspired by our experience of these two years of synodal work and implementation, we commit anew to doing all we can to implement the directives of the Synod, to continue to do our best to engage all the rest of the faithful in this dialogue and process. We take comfort in Pope Benedict XVI’s counsel: “In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we.” (“Deus est Caritas” No. 35)….

Therefore, in spite of disappointments that may come, uneven results from parish to parish, obstacles and flaws of all kinds, we press forward in hope; we rely on the power of God who ever remains with us; we continue our arduous pilgrimage, knowing that nothing is perfect here, but equally conscious that we “journey together in Christ,” who is the Savior, who most certainly will achieve his purpose; who will, one day, complete the building up of his Kingdom and come again in glory. With Paul, we stretch forward — convinced that “He who has begun the good work in (us), will bring it to fulfillment….”

At the altar of sacrifice, we consciously place before the Lord the fruits of our labor of these two years of open Synod and these six years of dedication and careful process. We offer to God our gratitude for the extraordinary outpouring of his Holy Spirit and for the privilege to serve him and our local Church in this manner. We confidently place before God the next few years of ongoing implementation….It is God’s work. We are Christ’s instruments, who repeatedly reassures us: “Be not afraid.”

The mighty wind of the Spirit will continue to blow, even if at times we cannot easily discern it, yet accept it in faith. Let us continue to unfurl the sails of our special spiritual graces and gifts to catch it and run before it to the safe haven already prepared for us. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful….”

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