USA, Milwaukee Home Shrine Jubilee Commission/Joseph Yank. The Schoenstatt Family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, the place of Father Kentenich`s exile, is praying a novena for the perpetuation and perfection of the home shrine stream in the Schoenstatt Family and in the Church. They have put together, from Father Kentenich`s words, a nine week novena with meditations from the Home Song, Mass of God’s instruments and words Father Kentenich prayed at various home shrine blessings in Milwaukee. They want to pray this novena two times during the year of the missionary current which coincides with the 50th Jubilee year of Father Kentenich’s proclamation of the home shrine as a third order of shrine for the Schoenstatt Family. Today we publish the meditation for the fourth week.
Where the fire of sacrifice upon sacrifice
banishes all selfishness from the heart…
WEEK FOUR – MY HOME SHRINE – ALTAR OF SACRIFICE
Prayer —
Do you know the land guided by God and deeply touched by Christ’s suffering:
Where hearts generously reach beyond themselves and courageously bear Christ’s suffering:
Where they answer in love when God wants to trim the vine:
Where the burden of the cross increases love and bestows the world with saints?
We reflect on the Candles in the Shrine:
“(This child) wishes to be a candle in our little Shrine, one that constantly consumes itself. When she gives light and in the measure that she gives light, she will consume herself.”
(Father Joseph Kentenich, excerpt of the spoken word at the dedication of a Living Shrine – 2/24/1963)
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!
Questions for reflection:
Day 1 – How did Christ face his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane? Can we do the same in facing our sufferings?
Day 2 – Do I see value in my sufferings? In what way? List the many things acceptance of the cross can do for us.
Day 3 – How do we, as a family or individual, deal with the sufferings in our daily life? Be honest. Do we need to change our attitude toward the cross?
Day 4 – What can help us to discover the love of the Father all of our crosses and sufferings? Think of our teaching on Divine Providence.
Day 5 – Am I willing to be consumed (embracing my crosses) like the candle so I become free from myself and then be able to serve others? Let us pray today in our home shrine for this grace.
Day 6 – As a “candle” do I lead others heavenwards especially in the light of their sufferings?
Day 7 – When we look at our Blessed Mother in our home shrine, can she also help us to carry our crosses so that they can be redemptive for us and for many others? How did she respond to the crosses in her life? Let us do the same.
