Why should we be surprised?

Margaret Steinhage Fenelon. “How could this have happened? You’re so young!” I’ve been hearing that comment over and over again in the past weeks, ever since my heart procedure. I admit that it caught all of us off guard, including me, because it came on suddenly – as if out of nowhere – and yes, I’m a bit on the young side for such a condition. It surprised even my doctors. Funny, last night I chatted with another member of our Schoenstatt Family who has had multiple heart procedures, including the implantation of a defibulator and pacemaker. He let me put my hand over his chest so I could feel the little mechanical marvel. Even though he’s nearly twenty years my senior, I thought to myself, How could this have happened? He’s so young! In that moment, I realized that, in the Covenant of Love, age is relative.

Covenant-wise, our birthdate doesn’t matter. Nor does our physical condition, walk of life, lifestyle, branch or level of activity within the movement matter. In the end, the MTA doesn’t really care about those things; it’s our hearts she cares about. It’s our hearts she wants for her very own, unconditionally, undividedly. She wants them all, all to herself, and she’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen, if only we’re open to her grace and the miracles she has in mind for us. The Blessed Mother takes our Covenant of Love seriously, and we’ll come to realize that more and more if we take it seriously ourselves. When we make our Covenant of Love, we become her children forever, and in that sense, we’ll never “grow up.”

No matter to what we are called, we will never have to face it alone

At the end of November, I had an emergency angioplasty and insertion of a stent in one of my main coronary arteries. There are some people who avoid me now, because they’re scared. I remind them of their own mortality and the possibility that they, too, could be called to such a fiat. I can understand how they feel; I’ve sometimes felt the same way myself. It’s one thing to hear St. Paul’s words about making up for what is lacking in the suffering of Christ; it’s another thing to face it in reality for ourselves or our loved ones. It’s one thing to swear we’ll be faithful to our Covenant until the bitter end; it’s another thing to think about the bitter end’s approach and still stand firm. People like me, who have been called unexpectedly to some kind of physical condition, make others realize that they, too, could be called similarly at any moment.

Ah, but here’s the upside: No matter to what we are called, we will never have to face it alone or on our own volition. That is the inexplicable, astounding beauty of the Covenant of Love! Years ago, when I faced a very difficult situation of another kind, Schoenstatt Father Carlos Boskamp said to me in his endearing and distinct German-Latino accent, “Vat you sink when you make the Covenant of Love?” (What do you think when you make the Covenant of Love?) At the time I was young and new to the Covenant, and so I admitted that I didn’t really know. Fr. Carlos explained to me that, when we make the Covenant of Love, we are bound, not only to our MTA, but to every other person who ever has or ever will make the Covenant. Additionally, we gain the privilege of drawing from their contributions to the Capital of Grace. Let that sink into your heart and mind for a bit. It’s absolutely overwhelming, isn’t it?

Of course. I’ve made the Covenant of Love

Yet, I know this to be absolutely true. When I first received the diagnosis of my heart condition, I had a moment of shock and apprehension. Then, following almost immediately after, was a moment of complete understanding and surrender. The words that came to me were, “Of course! I’ve made the Covenant of Love!” This was not by any means due to my own merit, I assure you. I am by nature a genuine coward. No, this was solely due to the merits of the Covenant children to whom I am bound for all Eternity and their contributions to the Capital of Grace. Their graces allowed me to be perfectly at peace throughout the entire process, even though I knew things easily could have turned out quite differently.

I know this also from the stories of other Covenant children. Car accidents, work injuries, cancer, financial ruin, crisis births, disease, natural disasters, life-threatening infections…the list goes on. The crosses vary, but the response is the same, “Of course! I’ve made the Covenant of Love!” I’ve seen very usual people turn into very unusual heroes in the face of adversity, and it’s all because of their faithfulness to the MTA, and the MTA’s faithfulness to them in the Covenant of Love. I promise that, should you be called to such a sacrifice, you will be filled with the same peace and resolve.

To the highest degree

A quote from Father Kentenich comes to mind. In 1915, he wrote a modification to the First Founding Document (October 18, 1914). He was speaking to the young Sodality members about self-sanctification, and he said, “Do not think that in times like these, when momentous decisions are being made, that it is something extraordinary to increase your striving to the highest degree.”

Momentous decisions are being made all around us today – in our Schoenstatt Family, in our Church, in our country, and even in our own communities and families. In following our Founder’s footsteps, we should not think that it’s something extraordinary to increase our striving to the highest degree, even if that means facing the reality of our own mortality or the mortality of someone close to us.

After my procedure, a good friend wrote to me that I remind him of the seriousness of the Covenant, of just how far we need to go. Yes, in the Covenant, we’ll be asked to go far, perhaps farther that we ever could have imagined. However, for as far as we’ll be asked to go; the Blessed Mother will go even farther. That will include some of the most fantastic blessings and miracles as well as some of the saddest moments and heaviest crosses. Either way, we can look toward the future with joyful anticipation because we know that, whatever we’ll have to face, we will not face it alone. For as much as will be asked, that much more will be given. Why should we be surprised?