SPAIN, Mariona Cañisá. Several weeks have passed, but the glow has not diminished. A few weeks ago in the middle of August and on the occasion of the Jubilee, a group from the Catalan Schoenstatt Family went on pilgrimage to the place of origin accompanied by two diocesan priests. For some, it was the first pilgrimage to Schoenstatt. For others, although it was something they had already experienced, this one definitely had a different nuance.
The desire could be seen clearly in everyone’s gaze, in the smiles, the gestures, in the silences… The day of arrival, although most were somewhat fatigued because of the long bus trip, the physical weariness did not dampen their enthusiasm one bit. In the Original Shrine, the Blessed Mother’s hands seemed to caress each one, closer than ever.
“Nothing interiorly will ever be the same as before”
These days were filled with many activities, discoveries and re-encounters, the fruit of impeccable organization.
They were days of intense experiences: the jubilation of arrival, entertainment from shared games, profound joy during the first visit to the Original Shrine, the peace found during prayer at Father Kentenich’s tomb, the awe and profound respect upon following each one of the testimonies, the tenderness of discovering the Virgin and Saint Joseph’s intertwined hands in the picture at the Family Shrine, the beauty of four pilgrims’ Covenants of Love, the trust in the encounter of validation, the anticipated regret at the moment of farewell, the warmth and friendship shared among elders, youths, and little ones, and the emotion on the return when discovering, “nothing interiorly will continue to be the same as before.”
Covenant of Love
Because that is what Schoenstatt is. It is this love that can be felt in silence most profoundly in the soul, but it can also be shared: the ability to transform everything into peace and joy, a respect for others, the acceptance of the other, loving him/her with all their virtues and all their faults without judging, or simply extending a hand. It is the knowledge that one is loved and accepted.
Thank you Lord, for the light you placed in Father Kentenich, now it is 100 years old, for the strength and courage you gave him, for all of his work, for allowing the glow, the warmth and the life of this light to radiate over all of us who form this large Schoenstatt Family. It is a glow that does not disappear; it endures, grows, intensifies, and accompanies us. It give us light in moments of darkness; it rocks us, makes us robust, and gives us strength to continue to struggle every day to be better persons and better Christians.
Original: Spanish – Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
