We were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children.

So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:5-8

1. Desire

I ask the Spirit for the Heart to Accompany.

I create and hold two inter-locked rings, of metal like key rings, or string, symbol of journeying with a person physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Now, I envision those in need of pastoral care, counselling and practical solutions, such as refugees in camps, asylum seekers, street kids, orphans or the marginalized. I consider what kind of company I could be. What journey would this take me on?

I ask the Spirit for the heart to accompany those who suffer and journey alone.

2. Relish

Today I live in the Accompanying Trinity.

I imagine I am surrounded in a circle by the Accompanying Trinity. Father, Jesus and Spirit, address me by name, saying, ‘If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.’

The joy and simple humanity of having a meal together, in the company of fellow travellers, in places of alienation, detention or trauma, is a gift and a challenge for me. So I sit humbly with my desire, awhile, in the mystery of the Accompanying Trinity.

I relish journeying with the alienated, marginalized and suffering.

3. Peace

I breathe in the Spirit of Accompaniment.

I imagine the Spirit of Accompaniment breathing a desire for journeying with another in need into me. I breathe it in deep, wait, then breathe it out into myself and those who suffer, alienated and alone. I repeat as desired – breathing, accompanying, one.

I conclude giving thanks, moving forward in the company of those in great need.

PRAYER TIME: 10 minutes.

Download the Exercise for Companionship.