The Final Document of the XVI Synod emphasised that mission is at the heart of synodality and is its purpose.

The Church exists only for mission.

In the words of the Synod, synodality “serves the mission that Christ entrusted to the Church in the Spirit.” (FD #32)

A culture of synodality helps the Church become a “visible sacrament” “radiating the light of Christ” to every woman and man. (FD #28)

“Mission illuminates synodality and synodality spurs to mission.” (FD #32)

Radiating Christ’s light now

But what is that mission? How do we discern the specifics of the mission we are called to now?

We exercise our mission in our homes, our neighbourhoods, our workplaces and where we relax.

The starting place to discern our mission is always where we live because that is where we live out our discipleship.

Intentional in mission

Yet there is always scope, as members of a baptised community, to ask,

• What else could we, as a community, do to show God’s love to our world, here, now?
• How often are we asked that question in our communities?
• How often do we as individual disciples ask the question of each other? It takes some courage to ask someone else that question?
• It comes more naturally if as an individual, I have pondered that question in my own prayer and reflection on the Jesus of the Gospels?
• Just as Jesus himself spent time alone with his God, I too must do that if I am to be faithful to my baptism?

Working out our mission

A simple approach for small groups or for whole communities and ministry agencies to discern how to respond in mission is to start at the beginning of discipleship: the personal experience each baptised person has of Jesus’ message about the love of God.

Knowing how to name this experience needs constant re-honing.

From there, it can be helpful to ask what Jesus’ teaching about a God of enormous compassion might mean to the people – in our family, our neighbourhood, on our commutes, in our workplaces.

This requires that we pay heed to our neighbours, whether in a suburb, a city, a nation or region and ask who needs to hear that message now?

I do not have to look far.

Opening doors to dialogue

The always-solitary dishevelled man who wanders up and down my street? The newly arrived immigrants struggling with English and transport? Creation that is being vandalised? The isolated, sick, widowed? The middle-something mortgaged professional who has lost his job?

How might the good news Jesus brought about a God of infinite wisdom and mercy be shared with them? How might they hear it? How experience it?

Finally, what can we do – in our ministry of health, education or social welfare, as a whole parish, diocese or as a small group – to open the doors of our church?

How can we invite respectful dialogue where we open ourselves to learn about Jesus with, within and through my neighbours?lves to learn about Jesus with, within and through my neighbours?

• Anne Benjamin DSG is Honorary Professor, Australian Catholic University, Honorary Fellow University of Western Sydney and Faculty Board Member, Holy Spirit Seminary, Diocese of Parramatta. She was a member of the Synod Writing Group, Diocese of Parramatta Synod 2023. Her published books include After All this Time. Reflections on Jesus (2022). She co-authored with Charles Burford Leadership in a Synodal Church (2021) and Leadership after the Synod (to be published in 2026).