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Der Krug mit den Zetteln, auf denen die Beiträge
zum Gnadenkapital stehen, wird zum Feuer getragen.
The jar with the slips of paper with the contributions
to the capital of grace is carried outside to the fire.
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Bündniserneuerung im Schnee.
Covenant renewal with snow!
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Familien aus der Nähe von Köln – spontaner Entschluss,
das Liebesbündnis in Schönstatt zu erneuern.
Families from the Cologne area – spontaneous decision
to join the covenant celebration in Schoenstatt.
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(mkf) On February 18, the renewal of
the covenant united the international Schoenstatt, all those, who anywhere in
the world renewed their covenant of love in their home shrines or by a Pilgrim
shrine. The Schoenstatt family and local visitors, together with retreatants
from various branches, joined in celebrating the Covenant of Love in Schoenstatt.
Covenant day dawned on a white Schoenstatt
– a beautiful winter scenery. Like on each 18th of the month, pilgrim
shrines were brought to the Original Shrine for the 6:30am holy Mass and blessed
afterwards. In these 50 shrines, the MTA will bring Jesus to 50 new groups that
will start in Lent.
Approximately 300 Schoenstatters joined
in the adoration church at 7:30pm to renew the covenant of love. Father Beller
led the celebration. He welcomed the local visitors and Schoenstatt Family,
and all those who had arrived short before for retreats: families from the Limburg
and Trier dioceses meeting in the House of the Families, mothers from various
areas who were joining a training weekend, 20 women from academic professions,
Women’s League from the Speyer, Fulda and Trier dioceses.
Flags stood at the front left near the
altar of the Adoration Church and reminded everyone of the International Schoenstatt
- also well represented through Schoenstatters present from India, Brazil, Chile,
Ireland, USA, England, Slovakia, Poland, Argentina, Switzerland, and other countries.
Transforming each day’s "Dachau"
into a beautiful place
The Schoenstatt Apostolate of the Sick
and Handicapped set the tone for this covenant renewal, as their year’s motto
was the inspiration for the texts: Praise and Thanksgiving to you, Triune God
- You are where I am. Amen.
An inspiring example of the hidden and
quiet apostolate of the sick people was shared: A 72-year-old woman who suffers
from polio since she was 20 years, is sincerely grateful to have been able to
give so much into the capital of grace for others. "We may not be able
to change the conditions," Fr. Beller commented, "but we do try and
change the way how we deal with the conditions." That’s the reason why
those around Father Kentenich in Dachau, in the concentration camp, could experience
Dachau as a wonderland, a beautiful place. This is how we can help our MTA to
transform the Dachaus of our and other’s everyday lives into a beautiful place.
Everyone was invited to remember the gifts
and graces of the past weeks and to offer all of the joys, sufferings, disappointments
and longings to the capital of grace. The slips of paper were collected and
put into the jar placed by the MTA picture.
United as one family – in Schoenstatt,
Harare, Mexico City, and elsewhere
Then, all renewed our covenant, united
as one family, with all those in the world who are close to our MTA in a pilgrim
shrine, home shrine, replica shrine. The reality of being one family in the
covenant is an experience reflected and fostered via Internet communication:
- "It is a heartfelt joy each time
to read about all the events that are
going on in Schoenstatt! I am looking forward to March, when I too will be
able to say hello again to the Mother in the Original Shrine." E.S.,
Virginia, USA – Schoenstatt Rosary Campaign
- "I just returned from Covenant
Sunday weekend in Waukesha. Thank
you so very much for keeping in touch with the news from Schoenstatt. It makes
me homesick!" J.B., Women’s League
- "Thank you for all the reports
from Schoenstatt. I am planning to go to Schoenstatt next weekend, from Zurich
where I am for a business project. It is my last time in Schoenstatt for a
while, because I am going back to Mexico next 5th of March and
I think I am not going to come back soon. So I want to say good-bye to the
Mater in the Original Shrine and to receive all the graces she would like
to give me." C.C., Professionals
- "Thanks for the lovely news of
events in Schoenstatt to celebrate covenant day. I was very envious. United
in our covenant of love with our MTA - We celebrated the 18th in my home and
during the celebration we renewed our decisions to foster home shrines wherever
we can and visit our MTA in our own more often so that the graces may flow
from them from her. On Friday at out covenant service, some of our Schoenstatt
family shared some of their experiences with their home shrines and especially
the name that they felt applied to their particular shrines. M., a single
woman, told how she crowned our MTA in her home shrine Queen of the Family.
and some of the experiences.
Her mother and herself used to be the
only ones practicing their faith and then
after her mother died suddenly she poured her heart out to our Lady a her
shrine. Later her sister came to her home and sitting before the shrine crying
and praying she said she was going to go back to church. Her brother too decided
soon after to do the same. Her home shrine she said was her source of strength
and although she lives on her own she never feels lonely or alone. My sister
in law Toni, in our mother's league group saw her shrine as the shrine of
love and I have named mine the Bethany shrine. Where Jesus and Mary are 'at
home' as well as all who come here. - We are also intending
to increase our efforts with the pilgrim shrines and will set up
a 'secretariat. for this purpose very soon with volunteers from the different
groups." M.P., Mothers’ Union
- "I send many greetings from the
family here in Austin, Texas – and ask for you to take our special prayer
of thanksgiving to Father Kentenich and the Blessed Mother, to the Original
Shrine. We have land for our shrine! We are all very excited and on February
7, myself, the sisters, and others – among them children of all ages – went
to the land to explore and start making it home." C.R., Girls’ Youth
Meeting by the fire
All were invited outside to the fire where
the Capital of Grace was burned. Some families from Trier started singing "Protect
us with your mantle", and other Schoenstatt songs. Though it was cold and
already dark, many people stayed sharing and enjoying to be together. Two couples
had spontaneously decided to make the 1 ½ hour ride from their town to join
the covenant celebration in Schoenstatt. "One of our husbands did not really
want to go, because of the snow, but we talked him into coming with us. Now
he is so excited with the many families here and the international atmosphere."
Together with the slips of paper from
the participants and from those who had placed their "capital of grace"
in a jar in one of the shrines in Schoenstatt, a poster with colorful paper
clips and a letter to the MTA was burning in the fire – sent via mail by a university
student of San Diego, California.
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