Something to think about Category

Maria mujer mujeres
Bárbara de Franceschi, Spain • This morning, looking at you, Mary, I gave thanks for every woman. For all that you are, for your delicate purity, your capacity to love each and everyone, your gentle gaze and your arms holding the Child and in Him each one of us. — Today, surely, all women: the women of that time, wrapped in that long garment, who at home made their bread every day, waiting for their children who brought fresh fish that they themselves caught with their nets, who taught themRead More
abusos
ABUSE IN THE CHURCH, Roberto M. González •  At the beginning of March, Pope Francis presents us with a new video with this month’s prayer intention; he calls on the universal Church and each individual Christian to pray for victims of abuse. — What specifically is the Pope asking of us? He asks us not to be silent when abuse happens, in whatever form. Let us remember that there is not only sexual abuse, but also abuse of conscience, which is the beginning and symptom of other forms of abuse.Read More
Adviento
Fr. José Javier Arteaga – Schoenstatt Fathers • Dear brothers and sisters: The World Cup has begun and all the attention in the conversations and in the media revolves around the matches, the national team and whether we are positioned to win the cup. The big question is whether the national team is well prepared to win. But without making so much noise – like all transcendent things – this Sunday begins the season of Advent and a new liturgical year. The word advent comes from the Latin adventus andRead More
Federación de Familias
International Apostolic Schoenstatt Family Federation • Today, the 4th General Chapter of the International Apostolic Schoenstatt Family Federation has elected a new International Leadership for a 5-year term. — The leadership consists of the following couples: Silvina and Raúl Viñas, Argentina, international leader Margarita and Alcides González, Paraguay, 1st counselor couple, Maria and Stefan Pelz, Germany, 2nd counselor couple, Martha and Martin Rigler, Austria, 3rd counselor The following substitute couples were also elected: Małgorzata and Wojciech Szczeblewscy, Poland, first substitute couple, Luciana und Edso Mocelin, Brazil, second substitute couple, LenkaRead More
Ukraine
Bischof Dr. Michael Gerber, Fulda, Germany • We are deeply moved by the news we are currently receiving hourly from Eastern Europe, especially from Ukraine. Our solidarity goes out to those who are directly affected by the war, to those who have lost loved ones, to the injured, traumatized, to those who are on the run and face the ruins of their existence. — Against the backdrop of many years of friendly ties with the Church in Ukraine, especially with the diocese of Ivano-Frankivsk, very concrete descriptions of the dramasRead More
festgefahren
Stefan Becker, Boys’ Youth Trier, Germany • “But I must also express gratitude to those who are not yet alive, to those who are coming. Yes, what will Schoenstatt become if the coming generations are not seized and permeated by the same spirit as we are? Doesn’t this have to remain the law in the Family for all times: Each generation must conquer Schoenstatt anew.” This is a small part of an address by Father Kentenich. He said this on August 11, 1935, in the context of his Silver JubileeRead More
delante
Guillermo Parra, Chile • Allow me to comment on the many exchanges of ideas that have taken place between us regarding the mission and our founder. I would like to do so in the light of a phrase of the Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard that seems to me very accurate: “Although life can be understood looking backwards, it must be lived looking forward”. I believe that in this phrase there is a key to understand much of our present situation as Schoenstatt and also of our relationship with the foundingRead More
mein platz
Elke Karmann, Germany • When I read your article “I want everything …”, I thought: How beautiful that someone is writing what is also burning on the nails of many of us Schoenstatters. I, too, have followed with interest the German Synodal Way and the documents prepared for it, especially with regard to women, and I was able to follow most of the discussions and votes of the third plenary assembly of the Synodal Way – thanks to the Internet. As a Schoenstatter, I was especially pleased that Bishop GerberRead More
Zukunft
M. B. Oelschner, Germany • I want everything / I do not want to be a spectator / I want to do something myself / And always know why / I will not give in / I want everything. This old song by Gitte (album: Ungeschminkt, 1982) comes to mind as I reflect on the voting results of the German “Synodal Way” on women’s priesthood issues: In their final document of the “Synodal Way,” about 81 percent – both lay and bishops – voted in favor of women’s priesthood, andRead More
escucha
Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for World Day of Social Communications 2022, Maria Fischer • “When listening is at the heart of information,” headlines the most recent column by Alessandro Gisotti, Vice Director of Vatican Media, on the Holy Father’s message for World Communications Day 2022, published on January 24, the day of the patron saint of journalists, St. Francis de Sales. — “Last year we reflected on the need to “Come and See” in order to discover reality and be able to recount it beginning with experiencing eventsRead More