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The Archdiocesan Synod: Baptized for the World
Towards a Global Vision of Mission in Los Angeles
Over the next two years Cardinal Roger Mahony will be consulting the wisdom of the laity as a whole, as well as the religious and clergy to reflect upon the direction we are heading as an Archdiocese.
Vatican Council II gave us a renewed understanding of baptismal theology that describes how the People of God share in the mission of Jesus Christ as priest, prophet and king. While we continue that mission through the local Church, there are times when clergy, religious and laity are invited to participate in the governing responsibility of the Archbishop in a more focused and intentional way. The Synod is such an occasion, a process and an event, when all are called upon to contribute the fruit of their experience, wisdom and holiness for the sake of the pastoral renewal and pastoral planning in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. [Synod: Pastor's Handbook, pg. 1]
In this opportunity to voice where we believe Christ is guiding us as an Archdiocese, the synod process invites us to reflect upon those themes of Church life that are beckoning to be more clearly expressed.
I strongly believe that the global perspective of our baptismal call offers a wonderful theme for renewal of the local Church. As we join with those beyond our borders, we discover more clearly who we are. As mission beyond our borders comes alive, we see more clearly the presence of Christ within the local Church and encounter the Lord among us.
There is a great expression by the Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his work the Cost of Discipleship. "Christ is stronger in the other than he is in myself." These words convey a sense that we discover more deeply whom we are when we are in community. This is a community that is not simply local, gazing only at our self, but a community aware of its connectedness to the global Church and humanity.
Impacting the International Community Locally
Some have argued that global vision is an issue for an international synod. Not at all, for two reasons I would like to mention. First, the world is part of the heart of the individual and the local Church. There is a crisis in Christian vision when we believe that our ministry goes only to the edges of our diocese or country. When our issues and our "poverty" are the extent of our concern, we begin to limit God. Our scarcity mentality begins to become an anemia draining our very life as Church. With such a perspective the Gospel would have never left Israel. With such limited vision our missionary ancestors would have not had the courage to venture forth. Being missionary, going beyond ourselves, going beyond our local perspective, is part of what it means to be Christian. We are missionary through and through. We go on mission not simply to give, but much more so to discover ourselves and to receive a new life offered through the people and cultures which we encounter.
When we see the poor on our streets, their presence calls us to join with the poor throughout the world and to go beyond our borders of indifference and separation. Christ enters between the borders we have created among each other. With Christ, a new relationship is established. Without Christ we remain trapped in the bubble of our own imagined fears, separated from others and our own identity.  Unity within the local Church is only possible if we are listening and living the Trinity's own missionary life of love, drawing all of humanity more closely into relationship with the Body of Christ.
Secondly, the synod is international in that as our own awareness that we are baptized for the world grows, the international community is impacted. Los Angeles is home to the largest diocese in the United States. More than 5 million persons call themselves Catholic. Such a large community aware and committed to being connected and not indifferent to the rest of the world could evangelize in such new and exciting way. It would challenge any notion of mission as cultural colonialism, patronizing charity, or simply economic and political liberation. Rather, in such a "new evangelization", as the Pope calls it, discipleship - following Christ - could express the original biblical sense of mission - embracing the whole person and the whole community. Such newness would be a renewal of our roots and a (re)new way of relating and understanding ourselves as Church and our place in service of humankind.
Our Responsibility
In my work as Director of the Mission Office for the Archdiocese, I have many opportunities to visit other cultures. Without any qualms, I can safely say that American culture dominates through media and technology virtually every society on this planet. More so, Los Angeles, through its influence on the media is a central force in the shaping of this global culture. However, our local multicultural riches call us to move beyond being simply a plurality of peoples tolerant of diversity to being a community involved with the struggles of those cultures and peoples from whom we have come and with whom we are still called to serve. This is what the Church today refers to as being in "solidarity".
Like the missionaries who came before you, get up the courage to go to one of the "Speak-up" sessions offered in your parish during the months of October and November and talk. You will have three minutes per person to express your dreams for the Archdiocese. Important, remember you are speaking about your hopes for the Church of Los Angeles and not simply your own parish or self. Pray, dialogue, discern and decide what you will say. Be prepared.
 On Sunday, October 21, we celebrate throughout the world as a Church World Mission Sunday. We pray, reflect and share our spiritual and financial gifts with more than 1050 mission dioceses. Wonderful!! My prayer is that as a local Church the Spirit will call us into a new vision of how to be in relationship to the world not simply once or twice a year, but daily in everything we say and do as Catholic Christians. Support the missions by being missionary and remember, you have been Baptized for the World.
Tools for Personal Reflection
Feel free to use the following thoughts as tools for your own reflection and preparation for the Synod process and the universal Church's celebration of World Mission Sunday.
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- We are Baptized for the World. It is God - Father, Son and Spirit who fills us with their "missionary" life and sends us to the ends of the earth as salt, light and leaven in love and service. It is this same God that places us in "solidarity" with the rest of humanity.
- The world (outside of Los Angeles) is part of our everyday life and ministry. This should be tangibly expressed in our parish worship, religious education, service, and financial decisions.
- The poor of the world are doors to Christ. In relationships of mutual sharing of faith and talents with the poor not only within our city, but throughout the world; we see more clearly the universal quality of our local Church as the Body of Christ.
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