COSTA RICA, Michelle Ramírez. Many arrived in their autos and others pedaled their bicycles. Since extremely early in the morning, others prepared breakfast for everyone …other readied their guitars and their songs…
The Wayside Shrine in Costa Rica has conquered the hearts of the “ticos” (people from Costa Rica). However with more than a million prayers of the “Confidence Prayer,” the spiritual campaign for the construction of the Wayside was conquered and simultaneously accomplished on the 4th Anniversary of the “Early Risers” in the Wayside Shrine, where bi-monthly they gather to pray the rosary at 5:00 a.m. asking the Blessed Mother to glorify herself on these grounds. The million prayers of the “Confidence Prayer” was accomplished and surpassed on October 18th, the day of the opening of the Year of the Shrine current!
“Like children in the silence of the mountain”
“This Saturday, October 22nd, at the Wayside Shrine, we had the real experience of the proclamation of the “Confidence Prayer. In the silence of the mountain on a resplendent morning united as a family in prayer, the Blessed Mother welcomed us as children with children’s innocent gazes enjoying a different moment. The hope of youth and the confidence of the adults made an ordinary moment extraordinary. These are moments that we can build every day of our life if we trust, to enjoy as a family united by faith and with the desire to share in harmony, where differences do not matter, only our disposition and trust in God matters. If we take the time,” Marina Peña of the G 27 Family Branch happily and excitedly relates.
With great joy and pride, the Keys of Mary Group witnessed their great and long awaited desire to surround the Blessed Mother with a beautiful garden. With time they hope to see it flourish even when the group is assured that the Virgin already feels the great love that they wanted to make palpable through this small but significant gesture. Other Schoenstatt members, such as the “Early Risers,” also collaborated with plants, hydrangeas, weeding, and with activities that are periodically carried out here to give life to this precious place of graces. Moreover and with great expectation, each family planted a tree with the idea of forming a path to the Wayside Shrine.
This apostolate wants to make even more welcoming the beautiful experience that all families have on every visit.
It has been an honor to please Her
“It has been a great honor for us to present the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt with this large garden accompanied by our children and our friends of Group G-20; it will surely please Her and those who visit. It has been a way for us to express our gratitude for the many graces and gifts that we have received from the Blessed Mother, and which makes us grow in love for Her day by day. Furthermore, we hope that this initiative will motivate more people to visit Her more often, for personal growth, and [to learn more about] the Movement,” one couple, Fabian and Manuel Serrano relate.
“With the sweat of our brow”
“To beautify the Wayside Shrine, to maintain this beautiful place, to give her the sweat of our brow, even in spite of bad weather, is a way to demonstrate our love of our beloved Blessed Mother. It is to invite her to accompany us, and for Her to remain in such a beautiful and pleasant place that we should not neglect. Definitively, we are the ones who are rewarded the most!” the Hernández Garcia Family shared.
On bicycles…
The Boys’ Youth was also present on their bicycles! They took the initiative to depart from the base of the mountain, and they pedaled hard going upward to show the Blessed Mother the madness of love that they feel for Her. They had a great time and offered many contributions to the capital of grace for this long awaited Shrine, which they feel very close to… After the weariness, they enjoyed a well-deserved warm, delicious breakfast.
An experience while praying the Confidence Prayer
“When a storm hits our life and clouds overshadow the hope of seeing the sun come out, a childlike prayer to our Mother is born, trusting in God’s power, where there is no room for reasoning; rather there are the desires of the heart. Our Mother shelters us as children, and She shows us her love, the storm leaves for an instant, the heaven opens, the birds sing, and the sun appears lighting up our life, filling us with joy. Here we can feel her love, and abandoning ourselves like children, we entrust our pain, and we express gratitude for Her compassion.
It does not matter if the storm returns to our life and the sun hides, faith and hope remain. In spite of everything, we can trust in God and in the Blessed Mother, who shelters us when our hearts needs it the most,” testified Marina Peña.
Celina M. Garza: Spanish/English translation – Melissa Peña-Janknegt: English edit
