St. Michael’s Night Out
Huc-A-Poo's
Monday, October 25^th from 6pm to 8pm

Emanuel – A Parish Listening Session
St. Michael’s Church
Sunday, December 5^th at 5pm

The Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis earlier this month, is a two-year, worldwide undertaking during which Catholics will be encouraged to submit feedback to their local dioceses.  The synod aims to shift the church toward a more decentralized model of decision-making by inviting laypeople and those who have not traditionally had a voice in church leadership into discussions on how the church can be more inclusive and collaborative. The three-step process includes a diocesan phase, running from October 2021 through April 2022; a continental phase, spanning late 2022 and early 2023, and a final, universal phase, which will be a gathering of bishops and others in Rome in October 2023.

A synod is a meeting of bishops gathered to discuss a topic of theological or pastoral significance, in order to prepare a document of advice or counsel to the pope. The diocesan phase of the global synodal process, officially entitled “Toward a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission” officially began last Sunday, October 17^th.   But Bishop Parkes had already started with Diocesan Listening Sessions in late September.

I thought it would be spiritually healthy for our faith community to hold a listening session similar to what Bishop Parkes is holding throughout the Diocese.  How do we experience God present with us at St. Michael, Tybee?  Where is the Holy Spirit leading us?  In so many ways the world today is blind to the presence of the divine, thus it is important that as people of faith we have a sense that God is leading us.  Therefore, we prayerfully make the words of Bartimaeus in today’s Gospel our own: “Master, I want to see.”

October 24, 2021
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
By The Faithful Disciple
Jer 31:7-9 | Heb 5:1-6 | Mk 10:46-52
GROW: How often do we pray with abandon? Perhaps when turbulence makes us wonder if our plane’s going down, when a friend or loved one faces a difficult diagnosis or life-threatening injury, when we face a setback, a major decision, or a heartbreak. On some days, though, have we been guilty of just going through the motions when we pray? Not so for Bartimaeus. “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me,” he repeatedly implores, ignoring the shushing of the crowd. When Jesus asks him what he wants, the blind man doesn’t beat around the bush. “I want to see.” Recognizing his faith, Jesus heals him. Bartimaeus could not see, yet he had recognized Jesus as the Messiah and persisted in prayer. His example reminds us to be persistent in prayer, holding nothing back from Jesus who desires to make us whole.
GO: While Bartimaeus faced physical blindness, this did not prevent him from recognizing Jesus as the Son of David, the Messiah. In our modern-day world so filled with distractions, we can become blind to the face of Jesus, or simply take his abundant love for us for granted. As the psalmist reminds us, “The Lord has done great things for us. We are filled with joy.” Looking back on our lives, we can probably see a few miracles – the birth of a child, the stunning beauty of a sunrise over the mountains or the arborvitae in our backyards, the friends who walk alongside us through each chapter of life. Today’s readings encourage us to open our eyes to the face of Jesus in our lives, and in turn to reflect his steadfast love to those we encounter.
ACTIONS: Read today’s psalm response: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” Reflect on the people and experiences that have brought you closer to God – friends, family, a priest, for example. Write them a note or say a prayer of thanksgiving.