mkf. “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah… (Mt. 2:6)” In 1941, in the midst of World War II, Father Kentenich cited this phrase from the Christmas Gospel during a conference at Schoenstatt, and then he continued: “What is true for Bethlehem, we instinctively apply to our small Shrine: Our small Shrine below in the valley is by no means least among the places in the Kingdom of God, where the Holy Spirit wants to radiate from to renew the world. You Schoenstatt, small holy land, may still be unknown in breadth and width, you may be small, insignificant, poor, but however the blessing of Almighty God is with you…How many people nowadays pray to the Mother Thrice Admirable? How many people presently revolve around our Shrine…” Our Shrine, our new Bethlehem, where Christ will be born again for this time. Our new Bethlehem, for close to 100 years, which we hope will be the Bethlehem for thousands and thousands of people….
There is a very beautiful tradition in Bethlehem in the Holy Land. At dawn of December 25th, the Benedictine monks from Bethlehem go on pilgrimage to the Nativity Church, where a star on the floor marks the place where Jesus was born. They take with them a book bearing the names of hundreds of people, who during Advent have asked to be present in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. In gratitude for the monk’s gift, they send a donation to them so that they can keep their monastery open…
There is something similar at the Original Shrine, the new Bethlehem. Year by year, volunteers of the PressOffice in the Holy Night say to thousand of peopel: I carry your name to the Original Shrine… And as a gift, only capital of grace is asked.
Since the year 2002, thousands and thousands of names arrive, year by year, to the small Original Shrine in Schoenstatt; they are sent from all the continents with the motto: May my name be a star in this new Bethlehem… Every Christmas, the doors are opened wide for the shower of stars in the manger in the Original Shrine…
Write my name on a star…
Now the season of the Stars is open once again. From the Original Shrine, via schoenstatt.de as an intermediary, everyone is invited to write the names for the stars of all the people you want to bring to the manger of the Child Jesus to experience the miracles of love.
{star_form email=”hermana.kornelia@gmail.com”}
“My name on the star”
“My name on the star” began in 1997 with the “Ten Minutes at the Manger”, as an invitation for people to write their names and those of their loved ones, friends, relatives, as well as that of neighbors, protagonists in the newspapers, and to have them placed at the manger…Since that first day, the “Ten Minutes” around the manger has been one of the strongest experiences of the season for those who participated.
“In the year 2002, the idea to send stars to Schoenstatt was born…There was an invitation to everyone visiting schoenstatt.de to do the same, which resulted in an true avalanche of stars arriving at the Original Shrine. At the same time, each year there are more stars, or better said, more names arrive.
JThis makes one reflect on those people who want to come close to the manger of the “new Bethlehem”, which is the Original Shrine, simultaneously it also makes one to look beyond our own relatives to include many others…
Relatives, friends, neighbors, rulers, colleagues, bishops, everyone
This Christmas everyone is once again invited to send the names of all the people that want to be present at the manger in Schoenstatt on Christmas Eve.
It is a pilgrimage of people to the small Schoenstatt Shrine…to this Shrine, where Father Kentenich returned on December 24, 1965, after 14 years of exile. Here at Schoenstatt, we always express our gratitude between five and six o’clock – the time that he arrived – for this “Miracle of Christmas Eve” in the presence of all the stars…
Send your stars. Send the names of your parents, brothers and sisters, spouses, children… so that Christmas will be alive in your family…
Send the names of your colleagues, bosses, customers, employee, so that Christmas may be experienced in your work place…
Send the names of your mayor, neighbors so that Christmas covers your entire city or town…
Send the names of your bishops and pastors…Send the names of those in the world news…so that Christmas will be born again in the hearts of all men and women with or without distinction.
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio/Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, USA
I write to request prayer for my friend, Fran Weaver, who is having a skin cancer removed from her face next week.
thank you for allowing us to be a " STAR" at the Original Shrine during the Christmas Celebration. Nos Cum Prole Pia.
Thank you for your note to remind me of this beautiful tradition. It is what I waite for each year since I learned about it.