Text: Fr David Stewart SJ at Amazonia Synod Vigil Mass

Fr David with musician Leila Persaud who performed during the Mass

Fr David Stewart SJ gave the following homily last night at a Vigil Mass in St Ignatius Church Stamford Hill to pray for the success of the Amazon Synod, which opens in Rome today (Sunday 6 October).

We want this evening to pray for the success of the latest meeting of the Synod of Bishops. This time, the topic is, as you know, the Amazon. We here at St Ignatius Jesuit church were pleased to be able to respond positively to the suggestion of our friends at CAFOD that we do this, as are our colleagues in Manchester, at the Jesuit University church of the Holy Name of Jesus. Thank you to CAFOD for the idea, and thank you all for coming to this vigil Mass, which is the regular Saturday evening Mass of the Sunday for this worshipping community of Catholic Christians here in South Tottenham.

We want to pray for the success of the Synod which means that we want to ask God's Holy Spirit to be present and active in the deliberations and the hearts of the participants. We want to pray for the gift of discernment, a particularly Ignatian dimension of the Christian life which our Jesuit Pope has told us several times needs to be part of our living as followers of Jesus. We want to pray that hearts will be open to the spirit of the Risen Christ and that, in the words of St.Ignatius, we may not be deaf to his call. It's an Ignatian charism but always one that is for the whole people of God, entrusted to us Jesuits for the raising up of all.

We're also marking, in the Church, the Extraordinary Month of Mission, this month. Standing alongside many Christians of other denominations, brothers and sisters of other faiths and many people of good will, we just concluded on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, on Friday, the Season of Creation. There is indeed lots for our attention, lots for us to pray about.

What is this discernment, for which we pray? When we pray for the success of this Synod, we pray that it may discern well. Discernment is a divine digging and delving. It can be a long process, requiring fidelity but also patience; Mostly, and for most people, it's not something you can do in one evening. It is a gift of God although, like many gifts of God, we often think we can do it better than God can! As God's gift, it's to be used well and for the Common Good; as Paul proclaimed in the second reading, "God's gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control" which we are, as Paul said, "to fan into a flame".

There are certain preconditions or assumptions for proper discernment. Among these include freedom; we are free to choose, or we begin by praying for that freedom. We presume that there is a choice that is better and that God is interested in our choices. This is no spiritual blind-man's-buff, feverishly trying to guess at God's will but a careful and patient sifting and listening, aided often by the guidance of a wise mentor, as Samuel was guided by Eli. We must presume that we might need to let go of some of our preconceptions, or opinions, or even certainties: often that will mean growing in faith, even faith just the size of a mustard-seed. We presume certain criteria for a good discernment, such as the Common Good and the need always, as the Second Vatican Council discerned, to read the signs of the times. We assume also that Jesus identifies with those on the margins; we accept that as a given. Jesus also identifies himself, as this Mission month affirms, with those whom he sends. And we recognise that there is unlikely to be a perfect decision, but a good and holy one; the best outcome of all may prove to have developed a discerning heart, placed beside the wounded heart of Christ.

You will have seen that there is some controversy around this Synod. This gathering here at St Ignatius church is not a taking of sides, nor by saying that is it an attempt to hide from reality in some religious bubble that shields us from the real problems and challenges that face humanity and the church's mission. The Gospel of Jesus Christ will never lift us out of human history. Our purpose here is to pray, with those apostles in the Gospel today, Lord, increase our faith!