The Supermarket Schoenstatter

Cristina and Javier Cabral. We are progressing on the spiritual pilgrimage to the Original Shrine for the great jubilee of 10/18/14, the centennial of the Covenant of Love. During this year dedicated to the Founding Father, his children are not only imploring for faith like his in Schoenstatt and its mission, but, we want to commit ourselves even more to this mission, we want to feel responsible for its inheritance.

This implies assuming Schoenstatt in its entirety and setting aside what we call the supermarket Schoenstatter.

What is the supermarket Schoenstatter?

At the supermarket…the first thing we do is to get a cart. Then we look at all the new items, the different products, and their prices. We choose the ones that cost less, the packages that are on sale, and then we move along.

We spot a can of Sunday Mass…of course… it is a basic need. We must take it. When we see a can of Extra Sunday Mass. No, we do not need that.

“Nothing without You” I need several packages of this. And the “Nothing without us”…one can of this or better yet, I will get that next time I come to the store.

There are unity cards for sale on the Father Phone rack, I don’t need a whole package. Good, Father’s phone! I will choose a few: “memento Mori – remember death!…” How profound, but no…I will leave it. Let’s look at this one: “I ask for all crosses and suffering…” How wise, but no thanks, I won’t take you today: “love and do as you please,” Yes! This one is great, I will take a few of them.

Let’s look at this one: “I ask for all crosses and suffering…” How wise, but no thanks, I won’t take you today: “love and do as you please,” Yes! This one is great, I will take a few of them.

Then we get to the aisle, “Retreat”. I don’t know. The priests always ask us not to use our cell phone. Can you imagine two or three days not connected to Facebook and on top of that to do it in silence.

In the book aisle… Look, here are Father Kentenich’s books. I don’t know, they are difficult and very long, like this one: “Pedagogical Texts”.

Let’s look at this one “Sexuality, gift and challenge”. Nooo, subjects about sexuality, nooo. We do not talk about that and especially not in a group.

Let’s look at the ones that are on sale. Buy two and get three! It is a collection “How to be a Leader Without Much Effort” and “Thirty Day Plan to go through the Narrow Door.” The promotion includes a book, I think it is a self-help book: “Save Yourself if You Can”…How cute! Let’s take it.

Then we come to an empty aisle…there is a rack full of products: ascetic media, Blank Check, Inscriptio. Hardly anyone goes there.

This is how we fill the cart with the things that cost the least…we take a little of this and a little of that. I like this, I don’t like, that or it costs too much.

Here we could ask: Is the supermarket Schoenstatter a part of the organized Schoenstatt?

Yes, the supermarket Schoenstatter is part of the Movement, but not Father Kentenich’s Schoenstatt, who gave his all for his children, rather, it is a Schoenstatt outlet, that does it their way, in their image, according to their likes and according to the time that left over.

It is the Schoenstatter, who has sealed his/her Covenant of Love without mission consciousness, for whom the world situation, society, the Church is a commentary, like an external situation, and not on “the battle field”.

It is a Covenant tied to being lukewarm and mediocre, of one who is not willing and is powerless to confront the challenges that are presented to us today in our society.

We should assume the Founding Father’s entire mission, it should be a total yes, for that which I like and also for that which makes demands of me.

In a time of so much relativism, perhaps it is time for a Kentenich radicalism…

Celina M. Garza: Spanish/English translation – Melissa Peña-Janknegt: English edit