JUBILEE ROME, Rosana Silva/mda. Since the beginning of the world, we human beings have been searching for paths: be it the way to happiness, a way to change one’s life, a path which is deeply connected with the desire of my own heart to expose a reality which is within me and which only I myself can feel. In this year of the Jubilee Celebration (1914 – 2014), God calls us to travel the way of the Jubilee together. Schoenstatt, through its children, is traveling this road that becomes a pilgrimage. Pilgrim comes from the Latin, peregrinus, which became pelegrinus in the Middle Ages. Per ager, “through the fields” and Por eger, “beyond the frontiers.” In the epoch of the crusades and the cathedrals, this meaning has experienced a profound evolution: a pelegrinus is a Christian who is in search of the sacred. With different words in religions and ancient cultures, a pilgrimage constitutes one of the strongest times of collective and individual religious life.
Schoenstatt, through its children, is traveling this road that becomes a pilgrimage. Pilgrim comes from the Latin, peregrinus, which became pelegrinus in the Middle Ages. Per ager, “through the fields” and Por eger, “beyond the frontiers.” In the epoch of the crusades and the cathedrals, this meaning has experienced a profound evolution: a pelegrinus is a Christian who is in search of the sacred. With different words in religions and ancient cultures, a pilgrimage constitutes one of the strongest times of collective and individual religious life.
“The reality that surpasses the horizon of this world”
In every pilgrimage, men and women are on a hike to a center. But a pilgrim has a specific motivation, very different from that of the traveler on the road to fulfill a commercial, political or family purpose, or to visit friends, or, inclusively, for an educational meeting. A pilgrim is a traveler searching “Totally another,” a “Reality, which surpasses the horizon of this world.”
Thinking, living, loving organically helps us to prepare the way that for sure we have already traveled with our sentiments and hearts. The moment of being physically present at the holy places we have chosen nears, and in spite of being real, in many aspects it can be invisible. Our Schoenstatt Youth have already traveled many roads during these 100 years; they have already experienced many mysteries, which involved our different branches, our different missions.
Today we live on the paths of many youths who gave their lives to Our Lady; assuredly they were not aware they were preparing our way, just as we do not realize that we are preparing the way for future generations with this path that today is invisible and which, with the passing of time, God can make visible. The path taken by us today can be a light for many other youths in the future, the sanctity we are called to live today can cause many to opt for God in the different forks on the road of their journey.
The Youth’s Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome
With this profound reflection, Rosana Silva invites the Schoenstatt Youth (and not just them) to prepare for the Youth’s Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome. The Schoenstatt Youth already have begun the pilgrimage toward the Jubilee before the 2014 February Conference when the entire Family, represented by the advisors and representatives of the Movement from thirty-three countries decided on the what, how, when and where in regard to the celebration… The Boys’ Youth torch race in October will end on the vigil of the Jubilee on October 17th in Schoenstatt. Other events include: Mary’s January 2014 Crusade and also each missionary coming by, all the youths and university missions, the “Pais (country) Mission,” the youth missions in Chile, Portugal and other countries. The list goes on with projects in solidarity and youth missions like Patria Nueva, Juventud que se Mueve, Fundación 180 degrees, the Youth from the Rosary Campaign of the Pilgrim Virgin, and so many more will also culminate at the Jubilee celebrated in Rome with powerful moments for the Youth such as a pilgrimage through the streets of Rome to St. Peter’s Square, and the missions in the city after an audience with Pope Francis, and a pilgrimage that will conclude with a missionary sending forth, the first 100 years with their fruitfulness and wants, the next 100 years marked by the mission, as Matias Cerviño from Uruguay and from the “Rome Jubilee” team highlights in his article published a few weeks ago…..
Rosana Silva from the Schoenstatt Ladies’ Institute, a Brazilian who lives in Lisbon, Portugal, is advisor to the Girls’ Youth in Lisbon and belongs to the Rome 2014 Team responsible for the general coordination of the Youth. In July, she coordinated the mission of the Youth from Lisbon in Guinea-Bissau. She comments: “The project is in total agreement with what Pope Francis is asking. Blessed Mother was happy in Bissau. Bishop Pedro Zilli, bishop of Bafatá in Guinea-Bissau, will go to the 100 Years’ Celebration in Rome. This is a great joy for all of us.”
Where are we going? What are we conquering for the Jubilee Year?
Rosana Silva wants to invite the Schoenstatt Youth, not just those who will be present physically in Rome, but also all who will be on pilgrimage spiritually.
We want to unite our paths to respond to this mystery of assuming, as Youths, the Schoenstatt Mission for the next 100 years. All our surrender, conquests and sanctity have become the seal of our path to Rome. I invite each Branch of the Schoenstatt Youth which goes on pilgrimage both physically and spiritually to share how they have lived this time of preparation for the Jubilee, responding to the following questions:
Where are we going? What are we conquering for the Jubilee Year?
What was difficult on the way and was not necessary? What is necessary on the way and is not difficult?
I challenge the Schoenstatt Youth Branches to respond to these questions and to share with the work organization of the Youth in Rome: along with your response, please add photos of your Youth Groups.
If in doubt, please contact us.
Juventude.Roma.Schoenstatt@gmail.com
Original Spanish: Translation: Carlos Cantú, Schoenstatt Family Federation, La Feria, Texas USA
