mkf. Renewing the Covenant of Love on October 18th at the Original Shrine to the sound of trumpets and Mary of the Covenant…” Thank you for asking me to greet those present and those connected via in Spanish,” writes Tita Andras, a Chilean who lives in Vienna. “It was for this reason that I was unexpectedly chosen to say the consecration in Spanish, on October 18th before our beloved MTA in the Original Shrine along with Father Joaquin and so many Spanish speaking pilgrims. I will never, never forget this.” It was an afternoon full of emotion, of joy, and of commitment, which gives us an idea of what awaits us on the road towards 2014.
October 18th at 4:15 p.m., the atmosphere around the Original Shrine, in spite of the cold, was filled with devotion, prayer, and emotion. The vigil the previous night with its testimonies about the first missions in Germany, Adoration throughout the night in the Original Shrine – there were even sparklers lit by the Girls’ Youth at midnight, and a torchlight pilgrimage by the Family Branch at three o’clock in the morning, and finally four hours of personal visits with a blessing by five priests at the same time and a half hour or more of waiting in line: all of this generated an atmosphere, where one could “touch grace,” as a youth from Peru expressed it.
A unique moment, that cannot be repeated
From afar, you could hear the prayers and singing of those who went out in procession from the Pilgrims’ Church. About 100-200 people were already congregated around the Shrine waiting for them. The Youth Choir from Wurzburg began to play and to sing. They were bundled up as if for a Polar expedition, with gloves, caps and mufflers; they sang of joy in the Covenant of Love…and the sun, which more and more overcame the clouds during the day, and shone with all its brilliance, turning the sky from grey to blue. It is the hour of the Covenant of Love! Throughout the world, hundreds of people are present via Internet. “They cried because they could not be here physically, but also from the joy of being present although it was from a distance; they cried with emotion, with joy, for the memories, so many things passed through my head,” wrote Monina C. from Argentina. “I realized that Schoenstatt is not dead, on the contrary, it is more alive than ever. I cannot explain with words what I felt; the Schoenstatt of forever, of Father, everything was so alive. It is the Schoenstatt that I fell in love with, and that conquered me and awakened so much FIRE in me that I had not seen for some time, and today I saw it and I lived it, today was a jubilee for me, it was a moment of very special graces like a jubilee. I hope that 2014 will be something similar – something personal, very large, simple, heartfelt, alive, genial, there are no words to describe it. I do not know if I can repeat it because they are heavenly moments that are almost unique, that cannot be repeated.”
Father Penners greeted the pilgrims in German, then Tita Andras greeted all the Spanish speakers in Spanish, Sister Angela greeted the Schoenstatt Family gathered at the Jubilee Shrine at Lamar, Texas and the other English speakers in English; Sister Damiana greeted all the countries of East and Southeastern Europe, Father Deogratias Maruhukiro greeted all the people who speak French…and Mary of the Covenant resounded; it was sung wholeheartedly by the youth choir…it was an incredible moment. The Chileans, Argentineans, Peruvians, Mexicans, Columbians…around the Original Shrine sang loudly and wholeheartedly, many had tears in their eyes…The Germans sang, the Polish sang, the Nuncio sang in Spanish…it was a moment that united everyone who was present physically and virtually.
a foretaste of October 18, 2014
“We have arrived at the climax of this day,” said Father Egon Zillekens, “there is only one reason to be in Schoenstatt today: it is the moment of the renewal of the Covenant here today…” There was a text of meditation about October 18th, a narrative about the founding moment, a short meditation about the challenges of the present time – the words of the Founding Document read at the same place, almost at the same time as ninety-five years ago: first in German, then in English, in French, in Polish…The Covenant of Love extended beyond time and place, just as Father prophesized ninety-five years ago.
Then everyone was invited to offer all their joys, sorrows, and the experience of this day, the commitments, and their petitions to the Capital of Grace…
“Then after a moment of silence, we renewed our Covenant of Love…” The long awaited moment arrived. It arrived with trumpets and kettledrums! First there was moment of fright then there was laughter among some youth…and solemnly, the prayer that is said so many times in German…The trumpets again! Sister Angela went to the microphone she took some steps towards the Shrine, and at the open door looking at the Blessed Mother, prayed the same prayer in English.
Everyone followed her example; they went to the Shrine many of them were deeply touched. In a moment, the Nuncio began to offer the microphone… Prayers were said in French, Spanish, Italian, Kirundi, Hungarian, Kisuaheli, Polish, Czech, Croatian…Prayers were said in more than ten languages and then the very simple prayer that is so beloved, so important is sung – in Ibo: “guard me, defend me, and use me, as your instrument and possession.”
The Nuncio blessed the Pilgrim MTAs, he blessed all the religious objects, and he gave the final blessing to everyone, and with the sound of “Protect Us With Your Mantle” in several languages, everyone went to the bonfire, where the contents of all the jars from all the Shrines around Schoenstatt are burned…
Even days later, there was talk about this day that many were calling the most beautiful October 18th in years…and it was just a foretaste of October 18, 2014.
Video of the Covenant Celebration in the media center of schoenstatt-tv.de
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, TX, USA / Melissa Janknegt, Elgin, TX, USA
