A major controversy erupted in the early Church: must Gentile converts follow the Mosaic law, including circumcision, to be saved? Paul and Barnabas debated the issue and were sent to Jerusalem to seek clarity. What followed was the first great council of the Church—the apostles and elders gathering to listen, pray, discern, and decide together. Guided by the Holy Spirit, they sent a letter back to the Gentile churches, affirming freedom from the Mosaic law while asking for a few necessary practices for unity. The message was clear: this is not a human decision alone- “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us.” 

There is something astonishing in that line: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us.” Not either/or, but both/and. It captures the heartbeat of a Church that listens—to God and to one another. 

This passage from Acts gives us a front-row seat to what Pope Francis calls synodality—a Church that walks together, discerns together, and listens together. The Jerusalem Council wasn’t a power play; it was a Spirit-led process of unity. Pope Francis often reminds us: “The Holy Spirit is the protagonist of the Church’s mission”. And in Evangelii Gaudium, he emphasizes the need for “a communal search” that respects diversity yet remains united in love and truth (EG,236). 

This is how the Church grows—not through domination, but through dialogue. Not by silencing voices, but by making space for the Spirit to speak through each other. 

Bishop Ruggieri calls us to mirror the Church of Acts- not only in missionary zeal, but in spiritual listening. He reminds us that Sunday, the day of the Eucharist, is the school of communion. We don’t just gather to receive- we gather to discern, to build unity, to become the Body of Christ. 

Imagine if our parishes truly lived this! A place where decisions aren’t imposed from above but emerge from prayerful, Spirit-filled conversation. A Church that speaks not from fear, but from faith. Not from the perspective of scarcity but from the abundance of the Spirit. 

But it starts with us. It starts with each heart made humble and open. The Spirit speaks where hearts are listening. 

And this is the beauty of Sunday. When we gather for Eucharist, we are not just remembering an event- we are becoming a people. A people who say with boldness and peace: “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us.” 

Questions 

• What does the phrase “It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us” teach us about how the Church discerns?
• How can our parish become a more listening and discerning community?
• What role does Sunday Eucharist play in helping us hear the Holy Spirit—both personally and as a Church?
• Where might God be calling us to unity in the midst of diversity?
• What does it look like to truly “walk together” in our parish—especially across differences?

Come, Holy Spirit, and teach us to listen. Make our parish a place where truth and love meet, where every heart is heard, and where all are led by Your light.