Who is involved in the apostolate of accompaniment? 29
Qualities of a mentor (Christus Vivit, 246)
“A faithful Christian”
A mentor does not need to be the perfect Christian, but must be some-
one who is faith-filled and sees their own life through the lens of the love
of Christ. One called to the apostolate of spiritual accompaniment, by the
witness of their lives, must affirm that “being Christian is not the result of
an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person,
which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (Deus Caritas Est,
Intro, 1). A mentor must have an active relationship with Christ as an inti-
mate friend so as to accompany others toward him in a deliberate direction.
Accompaniment does not require a mentor to know all of the answers
to life’s difficult questions or to have solutions to complex theological is-
sues; however, it does necessitate an ability to guide others to Christ in
both the ordinary and extraordinary moments of life. The apostolate of a
mentor finds its vitality in a living, explicit, and fruitful faith (Our Hearts
Were Burning Within Us, 50-63). A mentor’s faith is living in that it requires
cultivation and maintenance, constantly searches for the truth, inspires on-
going conversion, and longs for eternal life (Our Hearts Were Burning Within
Us, 51-54). This faith is also explicit in that it professes belief in Jesus Christ
and the Catholic Church, is founded on the Word of God, and is “radically
Trinitarian” (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, 55-59). Finally, a mentor's
faith must also be fruitful in that it sows the fruits of “justice and compas-
sion”, enjoys the benefits of the fruits of the Spirit, and strives to bear the
fruits of evangelization (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, 60-62).
“who engages with the Church and the world”
One who is called to the apostolate of spiritual accompaniment does
not view faith and life as opposing arenas, but rather looks to read “the
signs of the times” (Gaudium et Spes, Preface #4). A mentor affirms the
goodness found among certain aspects of today’s culture, acknowledging
the power and transcendence of grace to work through all things. Through
their prayer, actions, and beliefs, one who spiritually accompanies must be
attuned to the wildness and “scandal” of grace, that “God infinitely tran-
scends us; he is full of surprises. We are not the ones to determine when and