Last week, I attended the SacredTable Bishops’ Gathering at the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) Bishops’ Assembly in Orlando, Florida, as a Catholic dad. The experience was thought-provoking, prayerful, and enjoyable. We discussed real challenges confronting families and the Church, head-on, with honesty and purpose.

The foundation of the meeting was using generative listening. For those not familiar with generative listening, this is listening with openness to possibilities that neither person fully sees yet. In one-on-one meetings with bishops and in group settings, we spoke openly about our experiences and concerns without judgment or pressure for quick fixes. I had direct, meaningful conversations with Bishop Fleming of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Bishop Espaillat of the Archdiocese of New York, Bishop Chau of the Archdiocese of Newark, and Bishop Raica of Birmingham, among others. The one-on-one conversations were particularly strong. 

Each day, we also prayed Lectio Divina. The scripture reading we focused on was Luke 2: 41-52. I was surprised how the same Scripture passage (The Finding in the Temple) hit each time differently, for everyone. Certain words and phrases stood out more from one day to the next. In group discussions, it was clear many of us — fathers, mothers, and bishops — were struck by the same insights. The Holy Spirit was clearly present and worked powerfully through the Word and all those who were participating.