Prayer and synodality must go together, a Myanmar bishop told national synodal teams as he urged them to remain attentive to people in need, patient amid resistance and open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Bishop John Saw Yaw Han of Myanmar made the call during Mass on Sept. 2, marking the end of the second day of the three-day National Synodal Teams meeting at Baan Phu Waan in Bangkok.
The Eucharistic celebration was held at St. Michael Chapel, with Bishop John as presider. Bishop Louie Occiano of the Philippines, and Bishop John Baptist Lee Keh-mien of Taiwan concelebrated, together with other clergy attending the gathering.
Delegates from Sri Lanka animated the liturgy, leading the hymns and other prayers during the celebration.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel, in which Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law and later withdraws to a deserted place to pray, Bishop John connected the passages with the experience of those engaged in the Church’s synodal journey.
He said the people who brought Simon’s mother-in-law’s condition to Jesus demonstrated a “synodal spirit” by walking with her in her suffering, interceding for her and seeking healing.
“We, being synodal participants here, let us have more awareness of the people around us who are in need of our attention, listening and intercession,” he said.
The bishop noted that after being healed, Simon’s mother-in-law immediately began serving Jesus and his disciples.
“True healing in Jesus always leads to serving others,” he said, urging participants to see their own experience of the synodal process as a grace that carries a responsibility to serve their local Churches.
The three-day meeting itself, he said, offered national synodal teams an opportunity to deepen their understanding and experience of synodality.
He encouraged them to bring what they had learned back to their countries and use it to strengthen synodal life and mission.
Bishop John also reflected on the challenges that have emerged during the synodal journey, including hesitation, resistance, tiredness and discouragement.
Such difficulties, he said, can reveal human limitations while also helping the Church recognize its dependence on the Holy Spirit.
“Prayer and synod go together,” he emphasized, pointing to Jesus’ decision to withdraw to a quiet place after a demanding period of ministry.
Even Jesus needed time alone with the Father, the bishop said, making prayer all the more necessary for those engaged in the Church’s synodal mission.
The reflection also challenged synodal teams not to become overly comfortable with communities that readily accept their message.
Drawing on Jesus’ decision to leave the place where people wanted him to remain, Bishop John said the Church is called to go beyond familiar and comfortable settings.
“We are often tempted to stay where people accept us and things are easy,” he said.
Instead, synodal teams should be prepared to encounter people and communities that may not yet be ready to embrace synodal values, he added.
The bishop urged participants to approach such situations with trust rather than discouragement.
He called on them to continue the synodal journey with hope, patience and perseverance, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide the Church.
His message came as national synodal teams from across Asia continued discussions on how to strengthen synodal engagement in their respective Churches, particularly through listening, participation, formation and accompaniment.
The gathering at Baan Phu Waan brings together representatives from different Asian Churches to share experiences and identify practical ways of advancing the synodal process at the national and diocesan levels.
For Bishop John, the journey ultimately depends not only on structures and human efforts but on a deeper relationship with God.
As the Church walks together, he said, prayer remains essential to discerning the path ahead and sustaining the mission.
“Let us continue our synodal journey with hope, patience and perseverance,” he told the participants. “And God will do the rest.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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