That she takes care of the future of each child present here today...Consecration of Children, April 14, 2002, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico |
PUERTO RICO, Sr. Teresa Blaquier On Sunday April 14, we celebrated in the Schoenstatt Center of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, the consecration of children, remembering the consecration of our Father and Founder, Father Joseph Kentenich as a child of nine years, on the 12th of April 1894. More than 800 people came to the Pilgrims' Center that morning, the majority of them young families with their children. The celebration started with Holy Mass at 11 am, presided by Father Hilario of Santo Domingo. The whole celebration had a special character for the children. A small choir from the town of Moca came and sang the songs for the Mass. Schoenstatt Girls read the readings and brought up the offertory gifts. A celebration filled with joy, longing, and tears of hope and happiness. At the end of the mass, Father Hilario blessed the medals of the Blessed Mother that were given to each child during their blessing. The Consecration of the Child Joseph KentenichAt the beginning of the celebration Sister M. Veronica told the historical story remembering the consecration of the child Joseph Kentenich on April 12, 1894. "Throughout time, many parents, upon feeling helpless in front of the challenges that the world burdens upon their children, have consecrated them to God through a special act of entrusting them to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The fruits from the consecrations are innumerable. As Schoenstatt family we want to remember today a very special consecration. The consecration of our Father and Founder, Father Joseph Kentenich, who as a child of nine years went to an orphanage in Germany and was consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary by his mother, who with great necessity and much pain had to leave him there. We remember ..."April 12, 1894, the child Joseph Kentenich left Gymnich (his place of birth in Germany) for the orphanage of St. Vincent of Oberhausen. His mother took him, who must have been profoundly moved. Before leaving the child, she went with him to the chapel of the house. They kneeled in front of a statue of the Blessed Mother and entrusted him to her as his mother and educator. As a sign of her petition, she hung from the neck of the statue her most valuable jewelry, a necklace with a cross and chain made out of gold, a gift from her godmother for her First Communion. It is not difficult to imagine how the boy was effected by such action of his mother. Not only was he profoundly impressed by the pious act of his mother, but also, by his part made a consecration to Mary, which showed itself more profoundly and significantly later in the years. When with more than 70 years of age, the Father Kentenich echoed a retrospective view to what he had lived and activities, he could say that that act of consecration of the 12th of April 1894 enclosed the whole work of his life. The Blessed Mother Mary accepted without doubt, the consecration of the boy and his mother, and took in her hands, so to say, his future, so that all would take place under her exclusive protection and stay under the fruitful influence of divine grace." We here today, in our Schoenstatt center of Cabo Rojo in Puerto Rico, want to invite you to consecrate your children to the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt so that she may take care of the future of each child present here today. Prayer read by a father: "We consecrate to you our children so that you watch over their lives"To end the introduction a Father of the family read the following prayer:" Dearest Mother Three Times Admirable of Schoenstatt, in representation of the parents that are here, we consecrate to you our children so that you watch over their lives - their physical, psychological and above all spiritual lives. We ask you: be their mother, their teacher, their protector and educator. Protect them from the world and its bad influences. Dont let them lose their innocence and purity. Help them be strong, so that as they grow up they can fight against the ways of the world. That from being little the consciousness grows in them that they are responsible for themselves and above all they are responsible to build a better world. Mother Thrice Admirable, make them faithful following your son Jesus, so that their lives are centered around God from being little. Protect them from negative atmospheres, like violence, materialism, the bad use of media and from dehumanizing addictions. We ask you mother that you help us complete faithfully and responsibly the part that corresponds to us as parents. So that we can become transparencies of God for our children. Now we pray together, all the fathers just the fathers the prayer
of consecration for our children Prayer read by a mother: "Like the mother of Father Joseph Kentenich consecrated him completely to your protection..."The father having completed the prayer, his wife read the prayer of consecration representing the mothers: "Dearest Mother Three Times Admirable of Schoenstatt, as representation of all the mothers who are here, we want to consecrate our children today. We come with humble hearts, open and joyful, knowing that without you, without your help and motherly protection we would not be able to achieve it. Like the mother of Father Joseph Kentenich consecrated him completely to your protection, we also want to do this with each of our children. We live today in a world in which we feel helpless, we are in a world without God, a world that wants to snatch our children and take them on the wrong path. For this reason we need to consecrate them entirely to you Mother, so that you, as you did with your son Jesus, help our children grow in the grace and with values that lead always towards you. Show them and help them to decide always as you did, following the will of God. We ask you, Mother to help us and to complete faithfully and responsibly the tasks as mothers. Mother and Queen, we give you our children, guide them and protect them! Now we pray together all the mothers only the mothers the consecration
prayer for our children: "My eyes are the windows to my soul..."When both prayers were read and the children were consecrate by their parents, the girls that were there for the weekend sang a song before the medals were given. The songs reads: "My eyes are the windows to my soul Blessing in the ShrineAfter the song, Father Hilario invited all the children with their parents to come to the altar to receive their medal of the Blessed Mother with their blessing. Around 300 children received a medal. At the end of the celebration at the pilgrims' center of pilgrims, we went to the Shrine and received a second blessing with the Blessed Sacrament. It was a day with much joyfulness, but above all with many blessings. The Mother and Queen brought many hearts to her Shrine, many young families and especially many children. Translation: Cousett Ruelas, Austin, TX, USA |
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