PARAGUAY, Fabián Daniel López Cuevas. “Do you know the land so warm and dear which Eternal Love itself has built: where noble hearts beat with affection and bear with each other in the joy of sacrifice; and flow as one into the heart of God; where streams of love well forth with might to quench the thirst of the world for love? This wonderland is known to me – It is the meadow radiantly lit by Tabor’s sun, where our Three times Admirable Lady reigns in the midst of her favorite children, loyally rewarding each gift of love with the manifestation of her glory and immeasurably abundant fruitfulness: It is my home, my Schoenstatt Land!” (Heavenwards) Do you know what I like best about this prayer? That it completely describes what one experiences in the missions, whichever one it might be, and that in a PROVIDENTIAL way, it emerged from our beautiful Santuario del Terruño (Homeland Shrine) in Ciudad del Este. What a joy it is for all of us to feel this prayer as our own, as if it were speaking to each one of us! Don’t tell me you did not feel the way it says in this prayer while you were on the missions!
This article is more of an explanation of the experience within these missions, the graces received and has as a goal to motivate the youths (and what a joy if it reaches the International Schoenstatt Youth) the life of the mission, thus living the words of the then Pope Benedict XVI when he asked that the Church remain in an attitude of constant mission, thus also responding to the call of Pope Francis to be a “Church of open doors going out to meet others.”
I am a missionary, says Schoenstatt
Roberto Berino, general coordinator, explains: “The Catholic Missions of Ciudad del Este came forth from the need there was to evangelize the eastern part of the country (Paraguay), and because it was lacking an apostolate like this with the youths from the Santuario del Terruño (Homeland Shrine). Then, with a group of four people, we met to begin with this daring folly of love that we had wanted for a long time. We were greatly motivated by the summons of Pope Benedict XVI. It emerged three years ago in the Santuario del Terruño of Ciudad del Este with great help from the Schoenstatt Fathers’ novices who were then doing their practicum. We formed an incredible institution of twenty people who said YES to the calling which our Mother and Queen gave us. We released the ideal, and there was no better way to describe it: “Youths Alive. Hearts Afire.” After this, three years passed and the missions grew greatly, but never with a limit because what manifested itself most and was demonstrated was the spirit of family, of being MISSIONARIES in the full sense of the word. Always offering a smile daily.”
Missionary stories of life
God works in unthinkable ways and with much love in each one of us. Many of us have our life story on our shoulders, each with his own motive as to why he went to the missions. And if you consider it, God thought of each motive – in a providential way – so that we, his children, would be present during these beautiful days in our lives.
For many, they were their first missions, others already had more experiences, but what was felt and experienced was the same and likewise the place it touched us: the heart. And we have much to say about that, a lot to narrate, many testimonies of love after the missions, couples who came forth from this mission experience, couples who are missionaries together for the first time, couples who prepared themselves for the beautiful vocation of marriage. The testimony of love was great and it was offered freely and without skimping anything.
Missions are joy
If asked what word I would use to describe the Catholic Missions CDE, I would say joy. Why? Because I believe that was the common factor in these missions. The joy of serving Christ and Mary was felt, the joy of feeling as a loved and favorite child, and furthermore one that felt was their mission, felt that was what they had been called to do at that moment. Each one of us EXPERIENCED that part of the music that said “when joy comes from above, there are no boundaries, it must only be shared.”
Let us go out to the outskirts
Today, I thank God for giving me this very beautiful mission experience filled with the Holy Spirit and for giving me brothers and sisters in Christ, who although separated by a distance of 350 km, have something greater that unites us, and it is that love, which comes from God and through his Son and the Blessed Mother we have experience during these days.
Have no fear, let us choose this way time and time again; let us go out to the outskirts. We are not heroes, WE ARE MISSIONARIES!
‘Youths Alive. Hearts Afire’
English translation: Carlos Cantú, Schoenstatt Family Federation, La Feria, Texas USA 09252013
