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Apertura del mes de Mayo en Schoenstatt May Opening in Schoenstatt Mai-Eröffnung in Schönstatt |
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En la Iglesia de los Peregrinos: Oración, P. Weber, Vallendar (centro) In the Pilgrims Church: Opening Prayer, Fr. Weber, Vallendar (m.) In der Pilgerkirche: Eröffnungsgebet durch Pfr. Weber, Vallendar (m.) |
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P. Bernhard Scheloske SAC: sermón Fr. Bernhard Scheloske SAC: sermon P. Bernhard Scheloske SAC: Ansprache |
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Banda de Música del Colegio Pallottino en Rheinbach Music band of the Pallottines School in Rheinbach Musikkapelle des Pallottinergymnasiums in Rheinbach |
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Los jovenes vienen cada año The young people come each year. Die jungen Leute spielen jades Jahr. |
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Monaguillos Mass servers Messdiener(innen) |
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Casi idílico... Almost idyllic...wouldn't it be so wet... Fast idyllisch, wäre es nicht so nass... Fotos: POS Brehm © 2003 |
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Con paraguas y bandera: peregrinos del Sur de Chile With umbrellas and flag: pilgrims from Southern Chile Mit Regenschirm und Landesfahne: Pilger aus Südchile |
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Cantando en la lluvia... Singing in the rain... Ein Lied im Wolkenbruch… Fotos: POS Fischer © 2003
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SCHOENSTATT, mkf. "No problem, Sister, those who really love her are singing in the rain to her!", Drenched, with water running down his face, jacket, trousers, a man from Chile starts to sing again … to sing to Mary, with heart and soul, his favorite Chilean Marian song he had asked for to sing already when the procession started. That was at a time when umbrellas still made sense… Some twenty minutes later, by the Original Shrine, there's nothing but a symbolic meaning left either to umbrellas or rain capes. It pours. Those who came with the "Aquatic procession" to greet Mary at the beginning of the month specially dedicated to her, surrounded the Original Shrine, renewing the Covenant of Love, together with a considerable number of Vallendar parishioners and Pallottine Fathers and Brothers in the evening of April 30.
For the first time, the liturgy for the May Opening in Schoenstatt - an event sponsored by the Schoenstatt Movement, the Pallottines, and the parish of Vallendar - took place in the Pilgrims' Church. After a period of spectacular spring weather - the one you think is typical for spring, blue skies, sun, breeze, but that you hardly ever experience in real German spring -, overcast skies and drizzle welcomed those who came on this evening - from Vallendar, from Schoenstatt, from Chile (a group of 20 or so pilgrims from the South of Chile). While Father Weber, parish priest of Vallendar, welcomed all, Father Bernhard Scheloske SAC, director of the "Vincent Pallotti Forum", and Father Lothar Penners, director of the German Schoenstatt Movement, were with him at the altar of the Pilgrims' Church that was a bit more than medium-filled, with the prepared texts running out with.
The Brass Band of the Pallottines' Highschool in Rheinbach, accompanied the songs during the celebration. Father Weber in his initial prayer mentioned the main prayer intentions that were addressed to Mary during this May Opening Celebration as during the pilgrimage season: peace, vocations, renewal of faith.
Pray for us, Mary!
In his sermon, Father Scheloske, starting from the motto of the may Opening, taking from the "Regina Coeli", the 12th century prayer that replaces the Angelus during Easter time: Pray for us, Mary…that we may resurrect with Christ. Looking at the flood of petitions based in needs of every day life, one could wonder why this prayer does not mention all these needs, but focuses on the Eternal life. Navigating between the extremes of only caring for the natural well-being of people, and only putting them off with the promise of bliss in another life, the church and each Christian have to find a balance in proclaiming the Resurrection of Christ, the completion of all life and striving in God, the new life and creation "in Christ" that began with baptism. Like Jesus, who never took his eyes off the concrete needs of every day life, Christians may entrust their needs and those of others to God, understanding his help as a prophetic announcement of his Eternal Kingdom, love without end.
Nobody, he said, shared Jesus' life as Mary did. Therefore, it is her task to alleviate the needs of her children and to work for the completion of their lives in God.
It were these petitions - for the completion of life in God, peace among nations, and the needs of every day life - that were then brought to God through the intercession of Mary. The late arrival of a bigger group of persons at that moment could not really disturb the prayerful atmosphere of this hour of shared love for Mary.
Gathering around the Original Shrine
If Mary showers a flood of graces on those who were present, similar to the shower of rain, then this will be a May like never!!! While the brass band fled for protection under the roof by the Pilgrims' home, all continued to pray and sing as long as the sounds were still to hear. By the Original Shrine, the songs had to be sung without the brass band, but - they were sung. Father Penners invited all to entrust themselves and this month to Mary, and closed his prayer with "the prayer that is said all around the world:" My Queen, my Mother…
The Eucharistic Blessing, and some final songs in German, and Spanish, closed the celebration - and opened the month of May in Schoenstatt, with a big number of pilgrimages, Marian workshops, a bike ride pilgrimage, and the Pentecost Novena laying ahead…