18 The Art of Accompaniment
Spiritual Motherhood and Fatherhood
Spiritual Motherhood and Fatherhood is the maternal and paternal af-
fection shared between friends in an accompanying relationship. Spiritual
motherhood and fatherhood are responsibilities of those who are a part of
the family of the wider community of faith. As wisdom figures with sig-
nificant experience in the faith, spiritual parents are essential partners in
the life of spiritual accompaniment. Their contribution to the spiritual life
is significant especially for those who are distant from their own parents,
emotionally or physically. Spiritual motherhood and fatherhood is an ex-
pression of God’s own fatherhood and motherhood for his beloved children.
Because of this dimension of spiritual motherhood and fatherhood, the
apostolate of accompaniment is particularly enriched by an intergeneration-
al character. This intergenerational character allows the experiences and
perspectives of elder generations to become ways in which God continues
to reveal himself. In this sense, the wisdom of those who are seasoned in
traveling the way of faith is a gift to younger generations:
When intergenerational relationships exist, a collective memory is
present in communities, as each generation takes up the teachings
of its predecessors and in turn bequeaths a legacy to its successors.
(Christus Vivit, 191)
Elder generations are gifted with the “charism of bridging the gap” (Address
to Participants in the International Forum on Active Aging). This charism al-
lows for elder generations to bestow on younger generations a memory of
God’s action that expands to both the past and the future. Guided by the
wisdom of elders, the young can recall the goodness of God in the past, and
look with hope to God’s tender care in their own futures. In the accompa-
nying relationship, elder generations are also formed through a pedagogy
of hope that looks with anticipation towards the future by investing time,
presence, and prayer in the younger who are accompanied. Because of their
apostolate to the young, the elders can be renewed with enthusiasm and zeal
for the Gospel.
These different dimensions describe aspects of the apostolate of accompa-
niment that make it fruitful and formative for both the mentor and the
one accompanied. Mentorship, witness, spiritual friendship, and spiritual