pmehs. 18 January 2014, Covenant Mass and renewal of the covenant of love, Jubilee of a hundred years of the covenant of love, conclusion of “Ten Minutes at the Crib” with Auxiliary Bishop Jörg Michael Peters, and the Covenant Celebration for the first time directly at the Original Shrine: the first Covenant Day in the year 2014 took place within a festive framework.
It was a solemn and moving Covenant Mass this 18 January 2014 in the Jubilee Year of the covenant of love. Auxiliary Bishop Jörg Michael Peters of the Diocese of Trier, together with many Schoenstatters and their friends from far and near, the “star bearers” of “The Ten Minutes at the Crib”, an impressive and meditative dance of lights by a group of Philippino women, many children despite the late evening, and the folk ensemble of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary.
God’s closeness to the earth
Auxiliary Bishop Peters gave us important thoughts on the subject of grace to take with us. Someone had summarised it for him one day in the letters of the word Gnade – grace: God’s closeness to the earth.
Many flag-bearers with the national flags accompanied the procession that followed to the Original Shrine. The gratitude was tangible for the attentiveness of the Auxiliary Bishop, for his pastoral support, his valuable words, his testimony, the blessing of the Pilgrim Mother pictures, and the renewal of the covenant of love at the start of this year of remembrance and thanksgiving.
The Covenant Fire at the Original Shrine
Wonderful and absolutely new impressions: The Covenant Fire so close to the Original Shrine. With it the longing of so many for very many years was fulfilled. They didn’t want to leave the Original Shrine before carrying out the “Nothing without us” of renewing the covenant of love while burning the slips of paper with the contributions of so many to the capital of grace.
This made it possible for may good conversations and lovely encounters to take place in the shadow of the Original Shrine – with one another and with Auxiliary Bishop Peters, who spent a great deal of time with us.
There are permanent impressions through the testimony of so many that evening; and with inner joy we left joyfully and with hope for the future into the coming months until 18 October 2014.
Original: German. Translation: Mary Cole, Manchester, England
