I have often reflected on how the Church has endured across centuries, growing in number and witness despite persecution, internal tensions, and cultural shifts. One compelling answer, brought into sharper focus in recent years through Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality, is that the Church, at her core, is a listening Church. The phrase synodal Church, a Church that journeys together, captures this essential identity as a community that listens attentively to God and, equally, to the lived experiences of her people, akin to healthcare chaplaincy responsibilities, which I also embody in my multiple roles.
The Scriptures for this Fifth Sunday of Easter vividly illustrate the Church’s role as a dynamic listener. In Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7), the complaint of the Hellenists was neither dismissed nor minimized but became the catalyst for discernment and structural response. After hearing the complaints, the apostles gathered the community, listened carefully to EVERYONE, and instituted a solution that preserves unity while addressing a visible injustice. Every voice was heard. A similar narrative was expressed in the first epistle of St. Peter (2:4-9), which echoes this inclusive vision, in which the image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone in Christ redefines belonging and a call to action. Lesson: The Church excludes no one from the new spiritual house God is building.
Following this narrative, therefore, the Church, which is you and me, is called to be both attentive and responsive, echoing God’s eyes and ears in the world. The Second Vatican Council’s document “Lumen Gentium” reminds us that the Church is the light of the nations, not by dominance, but by faithful witness. No external opposition or internal struggle can extinguish this light. In the Gospel of John (14:1-12), Christ reassures us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Even when we encounter alienation or feel overlooked within the community, the Church invites us to trust in God’s abiding presence and His endowments to us to thrive. The listening Church may not be perfect, but she is always being called into deeper communion where every voice matters, and where God’s love continues to burn brightly in every heart willing to receive it.
