September 15, 2024 Essay: Experience the Wonder of Accompaniment
There is much discussion in our culture today about loneliness. Last year, the surgeon general even issued an advisory about this nation’s crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection. But is not only secular leaders who are calling on us to come together and be present to one another. Pope Francis, writing on what he calls accompaniment in The Joy of the Gospel, says “We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening, in communication, is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur.”
Each time I participate in faith sharing with the St. Ignatius community, I am amazed at the depth of reflection, vulnerability, and sincere desire to grapple with the mysteries of faith: the earnest efforts to untangle the ways that the very meaning of the universe intertwine with the quotidian duties of our daily life. What is our purpose? How does that interact with our daily tasks? How should we respond to job losses, illnesses, crises of faith or the routine of our lives—and how should we speak to God about these experiences? What comfort and hope can Jesus offer? What solace can we offer one another? As Pope Francis says, “Our personal experience of being accompanied and assisted, and of openness to those who accompany us, will teach us to be patient and compassionate with others.”
In these moments of sharing, I feel the opposite of loneliness. If we believe the Ignatian precept that God is in all things, we know that we are never alone, but it can be easy to mistake that we are. If you are hungry to make connections as you deepen your prayer life and to experience the wonder of accompaniment, Meeting Christ in Prayer (MCIP) is for you.
MCIP is an eight-week opportunity to explore and develop our relationship with Christ, through introduction to prayer practices and faith sharing. As faith sharers, we listen attentively to each other’s experiences of prayer and Christ, understanding that these enrich our own connection to our savior. We may discover a new insight that we can apply to our prayer practice or hear a story that resonates with the same struggles that we have, whether they be with family, work or another aspect of contemporary life.
We all come to MCIP with different challenges that we are coping with; through the program, we learn how to turn to Christ for strength. Participants have joined the program on journeys of coming to faith as older Catholics, discerning their direction in life as young Catholics, and everything in between. You can ask for God’s grace, discover or develop patterns in your prayer life, and above all, create a relationship with Christ through a greater understanding of his incredible and unique journey on Earth. During the week, you will commit to reading and praying in solitude, preparing for the weekly sessions when you are together with other participants.
In The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis writes that, “One who accompanies others has to realize that each person’s situation before God and their life in grace are mysteries which no one can fully know from without.” Celebrate the mystery of having a spiritual experience that is at once fully your own and at the same time deeply shared with others. In MCIP, you can accompany others by being present to their sharing—and at the same time, feel the power of being accompanied by a generous, thoughtful community. Quoting Blessed Peter Faber, Pope Fracis reflects that time is God’s messenger. Give yourself the gift of time devoted to your spiritual life. Come take the MCIP journey—a path you’ll travel with Christ, but also with the other retreatants. All you need is an open heart and a listening ear.
— Cynthia-Marie Marmo O’Brien
Member, Meeting Christ in Prayer