A message from the Bishop of Romee

“Make your cry heard, let it resonate in the communities and bring it to the shepherds”. This is the recommendation Pope Francis made to the young people last January by handing them the Preparatory Document of the next Synod of Bishops to be celebrated in October 2018 on the theme: youth, faith and vocational discernment. Is there closer attention to our concerns in our pastoral ministry?
This “compass will guide them throughout this journey”. It is good that as shepherds, we also use this compass to better listen to their voice, their sensitivity, their faith, to hear their doubts, even their criticisms.
In this phase of pre-synodal consultation, the Document covers, among other things, the fundamental passages of the process of discernment to which the accompaniment belongs, and on which we propose to meditate.

4. The accompaniment

Three basic beliefs underlie the process of discernment, beliefs which are ingrained in every human being’s experience understood in the light of the faith and Christian tradition. The first is that the Spirit of God works in the heart of every man and woman through feelings and desires that are bound to ideas, images and plans. Listening carefully, the human being has the possibility to interpret these signals. The second belief is that the human heart, because of its weakness and sin, is normally divided because it is attracted to different and even contrary feelings. The third belief is that every way of life imposes a choice, because a person cannot remain indefinitely in an undetermined state. A person needs to adopt the instruments needed to recognize the Lord’s call to the joy of love and choose to respond to it.

Among these instruments, the Church’s spiritual tradition emphasizes the importance of personal accompaniment. In accompanying another person, the study of the teachings on discernment is not enough; one needs the hard, personal experience of interpreting the movements of the heart to recognize the action of the Spirit, whose voice can speak to the uniqueness of each individual. Personal accompaniment demands the constant refinement of one’s sensitivity to the voice of the Spirit and leads to discovering a resource and richness in a person’s individual character.

It is a question of fostering a person’s relationship with God and helping to remove what might hinder it. Herein lies the difference between accompaniment in discerning and psychological support, which, when open to transcendence, oftentimes has a basic importance. The psychologist supports those in difficulties and helps them become aware of their weaknesses and potential. Spiritual guidance re-orientates a person towards the Lord and prepares the ground for an encounter with him (cf. Jn 3:29-30).

Jesus’ encounter with the people of his time, as recorded in the Gospels, highlight certain elements which are part of the ideal profile of the person accompanying a young person in vocational discernment, namely, a loving look (the calling of the first disciples (cf. Jn 1:35- 51); an authoritative word (teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, cf. Lk 4:32); an ability to “become the neighbour” (the parable of the Good Samaritan, cf. Lk 10:25-37); a choice to “walk beside” (the disciples of Emmaus, cf. Lk 24:13-35); and an authentic witness, fearlessly going against preconceived ideas (the washing of the feet at the Last Supper, cf. Jn 13:1-20).

In the task of accompanying the younger generation, the Church accepts her call to collaborate in the joy of young people rather than be tempted to take control of their faith (cf. 2 Cor 1:24). Such service is ultimately founded in prayer and in asking for the gift of the Spirit, who guides and enlightens each and everyone.