Service through Worship: Forming a Eucharistic Devotion for a Synodal Church

Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality gathers the universal church towards a discerning path of accompaniment that seeks to address the contemporary and pressing issues of the Church. While the Church develops a theology of synodality, this article argues that fundamental to the synodal path requires an incorporated Eucharistic devotion. This liturgical mechanism incorporates dialogue and worship between the people and God with the hope that Christ’s will manifests itself through the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharistic theologies of Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI demonstrate how worship integrates a desired union between God and neighbor. Developing a vibrant Eucharistic devotion enhances synodal conversation and highlights a Christocentric vision, broadening the Church's ability to discern how to serve more effectively. Concretely, the example of The Spiritual Diary of St. Ignatius of Loyola provides a devotional and practical lens by which God can work through this method of Eucharistic discernment to help bring about God’s will for his people.