MEXICO, Gabriela Tamayo Chapa. “To be little Marys, to be an image of Mary’s life, of her deeds, thoughts and attitudes before the world are words filled with meaning, strength; they are part of the ideal of the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth.” This is the experience of many girls, who have found a home and a source of joy in Schoenstatt. Throughout this Jubilee Year, many young girls have gotten close to the Blessed Mother; they want “to do” more for Her, “to give” more for Her.
“Upon seeing the Schoenstatt Youth, their plans, events and desires, I want to be part of this, to be a part and instrument of Mary. To be a reflection of what I believe is the Church, a Catholic Church in the world today, ready to give ourselves, to be instruments in keeping with the world and society in which we live. It’s a Church that will depend a great part on what we, the youth do, that we know how to live it, know it and make it our own. But especially to make it our own as women, with the characteristics and traits that are uniquely ours.” These were the comments of a young girl after having an experience with the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth.
Living reflections of Mary
This was the main theme of the National Conference of the Schoenstatt Girls’ Youth that was held in Guadalajara on November 1st and 2nd. One hundred twenty girls from Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, León, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Chihuahua participated. All of them are of high school or university ages. The objective of this conference was to become more aware of this Jubilee Year, of the graces that each Shrine gives daily, in each encounter with the Blessed Mother. They want to be youths who are willing to give their all, to go against the current, to be different as living reflections of Mary.
What do we – women – do?
During the conference, there were several times of prayer, of reflections, exclamations, talks, dance, songs…that created an atmosphere of growing awareness of responsibility for being the Jubilee generation.
The great question of many: what do we – women – do? What is it that we could and should do differently during this Schoenstatt jubilee year? These questions were the focus of attention and the constant line of leadership of the conference.
These questions are weighty; they are important and transcend, because these one hundred years should be significant, changing and deeply touching the lives of every one of them. In the future, it should be noticed that something new has emerged, that there were changes, efforts, contributions to the capital of grace that will make the next hundred years of Schoenstatt fruitful, that they contributed to Schoenstatt’s growth according to the Father and Founder’s vision.
The response: a lifestyle
During the national conference, they discussed the importance of adopting a lifestyle that is characteristic of a Schoenstatt girl, so that they are seen as authentic and Marian youths. That this lifestyle crosses into all the areas of life. In the national ideal of the branch: “As an immaculate daughter, Father’s instrument” they discovered that what should characterize them as Girls’ Youth of Mexico is a lifestyle that means being incomparable in service, in the effort to live heroically in daily life, in radiating joy, in trusting Father and the Blessed Mother, and of knowing that all of this cannot be accomplished without having prayer as a pillar and foundation of life, in struggling to be loyal, pure and noble.
All the weekend activities were filled with substance, and they had an objective: to arrive at the great ideal as a gift for 2014. As the Girls’ Youth of Mexico, they are willing to conquer the small RTA crown for the Original Shrine, and at the same time conquer the little crown for the scepter of lilies, the symbol of the national ideal.
The atmosphere was one of joy and of depth. The awareness: “we were born for something great” was the motto that sealed hearts and profoundly marked the lives of many young girls.
For daily life
The national conference was an experience that undoubtedly contributed to a change of life of many of these young women. At conclusion of days of meeting, they were motivated to transmit everything that they lived and experienced during this weekend to the different states and groups of the Girls’ Youth. Every young girl took a concrete task for her daily life. They know they are not alone, that there are many young girls who are striving: in school, at home, with friends, relatives, in the Church, in the parish, at the library, with their boyfriends, to be a new woman who gives life, who desires to embody the “little Mary” that the Father and Founder desired to give the Church and society.
Original: Spanish – Translation: Celina M. Garza San Antonio, TX USA
