Who is involved in the apostolate of accompaniment? 37
accompaniment” (Final Document of the Synod of Bishops on Young People,
Faith, and Vocational Discernment, 99). In seeking to promote the apostolate
of accompaniment as fostering integration of the life of the one accompa-
nied, the Church must seek to promote an integral and holistic formation
of mentors.
Spiritual
Sacraments and Liturgy
Like the lives of all the Christian faithful, the life of the mentor finds
its source and summit in the liturgical life of the Church (Sacrosanctum
Concilium, 1.10). The liturgical and sacramental life of the Church is the
foremost means of transformative accompaniment for the human race by
which the words of the Son of God echo:
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.
(Matthew 28:20)
In the weekly and daily celebration of the liturgy, mentors draw life, in-
spiration, and strength for their apostolate while also directing all of their
efforts to it as an aim:
For the aim and object of apostolic works is that all who are made
sons of God by faith and baptism should come together to praise
God in the midst of His Church, to take part in the sacrifice, and
to eat the Lord's supper. (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 1.10)
The Eucharist is the very heart of formation for the apostolate of
accompaniment:
The Eucharist is the living memorial of the paschal event, a privi-
leged place of evangelization and transmission of the faith for the
sake of mission. In the assembly gathered for the eucharistic cele-
bration, the experience of being personally touched, instructed and
healed by Jesus accompanies each person on his or her journey of
personal growth. (Final Document of the Synod of Bishops on Young
People, Faith and Vocational Discernment, 92)