org. As a group from the German Professional Women’s Branch sang the opening hymn, Fr. Raúl Espina (General Council for the Schoenstatt Fathers) collected the pieces of paper with the intentions of the International Family for this early morning Mass on February 18th, together with the many other pieces of paper containing petitions, promises, prayers, consecrations, and wishes sent from all over the world to “fill the jar in the Shrine” in the intention of the Pilgrimage Prayer 2014: “we want to fill the jars with our gifts: with our gratitude and repentance, with our surrender and longing…” This was a list that could go on and on…This simple gesture of connection has, over many Saturdays, become an essential element of the magic of this Mass and a simple anticipation of what 2014 will be like; the enormous celebration of a family bound together in prayer, mission, in the holy place, in vision and reality – in a word – in Covenant.
The Professional Women together with the Schoenstatt Fathers’ Iberian-American tertianship almost filled the Original Shrine together with the participants who “always” form an international and multi-lingual community (the German hymns were a little challenging for the seminarians, but life is a challenge, right?).
Fr. Raúl, speaking in German and Spanish, introduced the Holy Mass with the Gospel of Jesus on Mount Tabor, chosen for this Covenant Day that binds us to October 18,1914 with the desire that this Shrine (together with all the Shrines in the world) can increasingly become the Tabor of the marvels of Mary. He invited everyone to join the Schoenstatt Family in Rwanda, a country ravaged by civil war in the 1990s and the site of one the world’s worst genocides in recent decades.
Intentions for this Mass
As always, Fr. Raúl Espina as the celebrant announced the intentions for this Mass:
- For Schoenstatt in Rwanda and their contributions to peace and reconciliation in a spirit of Covenant culture in Rwanda and all nations in Africa.
- For the pilgrimage of the International Schoenstatt Family on their way to 2014, for all those who are responsible for the preparation and those who have given a particularly difficult contribution.
- For those, who on this 18th, 33 18ths until October 18, 2014, will seal or renew their Covenant of Love.
- For members of the Family who have been called home to the Father during the course of this week and for the sick.
- For the intentions, petitions and promises given to fill the jars of the Original Shrine, sent to us this week from the USA, Argentina, Switzerland, Nigeria, Chile, Mexico, Sweden, Spain, Brazil, Germany and Canada.
After the prayers of the faithful, prepared by the Professional Women, Fr. Raúl struggled to pray the Pilgrimage Prayer 2014, because the next song had already started. For this reason, everyone prayed more loudly and joyfully, alternating between Spanish and German.
Such self-giving, such faith, such pain, so many difficult life situations were placed into the same jar at the same time…capital of grace in a covenant of love that not only unites heaven and earth, but also specific people in their countries and specific situations, becoming a blessing and mission from one to another-in a word-family.
2014 – at one glance
Steps of the pilgrimage towards 2014
Official website 2014 – www.schoenstatt2014.org
Bulletin “Towards 2014” 3/2012
Bulletin 2014 (subscribe)
Sarah-Leah Pimentel: Spanish/English translation- M.P. Janknegt: English edit
