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Pesebre al lado del Santuario en Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. Crib near the Shrine at Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. Krippe neben dem Heiligtum in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. |
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El camino de los pastores y reyes Shepherds and kings are approaching Hirten und Könige kommen zur Krippe |
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Flores de Belén Flowers of Bethlehem Blüten rund ums neue Bethlehem Fotos: Cabral © 2003 |
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Misa de Navidad en el Santuario de Monterrey, México Christmas Mass in the Shrine in Monterrey, México Weihnachtsmesse im Heiligtum von Monterrey, Mexiko Foto: Montemayor © 2003 |
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Nacimiento en el Santuario de Pozuelo, Madrid, España Crib scenery in the Shrine in Pozuelo, Madrid, Spain Krippe im Heiligtum von Pozuelo, Madrid, Spanien Foto: Diez © 2003 |
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Santuario de Campanario, Chile Shrine in Campanario, Chile Heiligtum in Campanario, Chile Foto: Ortiz © 2003 |
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INTERNATIONAL, mkf. "We thought of that night in Bethlehem, when someone replied to Mary and Joseph: THERE IS NO ROOM FOR YOU HERE, and we reflected: How many times through our lives have we told The Lord with our thoughts, attitude, gestures and feelings?: There is no room for you!" This is what Melba and Pedro Lopez, from Corrientes, Argentina wrote in their Christmas greeting. ¨Today we have happily and with confidence opted to receive the defenseless Baby Jesus. We implored His Mother to teach us to receive Him daily and to daily tell Him with certainty: LORD, YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART… IN MY FAMILY¨ ¨YES, here there is room for you¨ these words welcomed Jesus Christ in the Schoenstatt Shrines around the world. For those places where Christmas happens in the summer, it’s naturally an open door party, the feast of the Open Shrines…
The Schoenstatt Fathers' novices prepared the Christmas Holy Mass on December 25th, in the "Young Shrine" in Asuncion. Fr. Jose Maria presided Mass, and during his homily he spoke about the manger and the animals that traditionally accompany Jesus Christ… he said sometimes we should be like them: be there, and take graciously whatever is happening. "The novices sang like the angels, there were a lot of people and the two hours that mass lasted were not too long, said Roberto Gebhardt.
At the end, Fr. Jose Maria said goodbye to the Paraguayan community, because in a month he will go to Europe, to begin his new work. He went on to say he’d like to add two words: Tupãrenda and Noviciate. Fr. Jose Maria described how the MTA has taught him and taught us to be Her children. In the ten years that he lived in Tuparenda, the Blessed Mother had formed him and intensified that love. About noviciate, Fr. Jose Maria is certain that the almost one hundred novices that have made their novice time in Tuparenda have experimented the teachings from the MTA in the Heart of America. The new novice master, Fr. Francisco Pistilli also thanked Fr. Jose Maria.
Fr. Jose Maria has repeated many times what Roberto Gebhardt told him when he first arrived to Paraguay. "Father, [those] who comes to stay in Paraguay, cries twice. The first time he/she cries when he/she arrives, because everything is so different, and the second time when he/she has to leave" "It's true", Roberto Gebhardt adds, "I told Fr. Jose Maria this ten years ago when Susi, Fr. Ludovico and I went to the airport to receive a Schoenstatt Father that was to arrive, on a boiling hot day… That Father was Fr. Jose Maria!"
In Cuidad del Este, Paraguay, the manger is next to the Shrine. It is outdoors, surrounded by flowers, people bring fruit and gifts and come here to pray…
With Doors Wide Open
In the Campanario Shrine, in Santiago de Chile, more than 2500 people attended the Holy Mass at 8:00 p.m. There was another Mass at 12:00 a.m. It is always very beautiful, Carla Ortiz says.
Mariana Onni, from San Isidro, Argentina says: "it was a magnificent day, warm, the atmosphere smelled like jasmine flowers… the blooming of the plants resembled the beautiful scenery, in this park surrounded by ancient oak trees. The altar of the Shrine stood outside, in front of the Shrine, which had its doors open and was surrounded by approximately twelve hundred people. The night covered us with stars and Carols, there was emotion, peace and joy, Jesus Christ is born! The Shrine bell was ringing, it sounded like Happiness! A happiness that needed our sprit and I hope we know how to keep it alive all year round."
Juan Barbosa from Cordoba says: "We enjoyed midnight Mass in the Villa Warcalde Shrine with Sr. M. Estela. It was a beautiful ceremony"
The Schoenstatt Family in La Paz, Bolivia created a representation of Baby Jesus’ birth. Aquiles and Fatima Sotillo said "Everything came out very well, al our family participated, and we were united as it should be during these special celebrations."
In the Shrine "Mary Way to Heaven", in Monterrey, Mexico three priests concelebrated the Christmas Mass, and the Shrine was packed with poinsettias.
At the same time as in Schoenstatt
In the Buenos Aires Shrine (in the Belgrano neighborhood) Christmas Mass was celebrated at the same time as in Schoenstatt, Germany: Here at 20:00 hours and over there it was midnight.
As always, the altar was set in front of the Shrine. It was decorated with trees, stars, red flowers and hundreds of white lights. While everybody was singing Gloria, the gardens were illuminated and a family brought Baby Jesus to a place in front of the Altar. In front of the Baby Jesus there was a basket with hundreds of stars resembling the Novena petitions written by the many pilgrims who arrived to the Shrine.
Christmas Carols were sung by some members of the Youth Movement. They were playing guitars and the carols were folkloric and fun. A faithful multitude participated in the Eucharist ceremony. There were so many people that they were overflowing into the gardens, the sidewalk, and part of the street. It was a very quiet summer night, fresh and fragrant jasmine in the air of a clear star-filled sky. The Shrine, a true Bethlehem where Christ is born again of His Immaculate Mother, under the beautiful and loving look from His Father. It is the light that shines in darkness of time.
Christmas in summer is beautiful: Jesus does not suffer the coldness of the manger, families can gather to celebrate outdoors; it is an open doors party…
At midnight you can look up in the sky and watch wonderful firework shows which start from the neighbor’s yards announcing the birth of Our Redeemer. The multicolor lights greet "The light that came to enlighten our darkness"
Contributions: Roberto and Susi Gebhardt, Asuncion, Paraguay; Carla Ortiz, Santiago, Chile; Jose Ignacio Montemayor, Monterrey, Mexico; Mariana Onni, San Isidro, Argentina; Aquiles and Fatima Sotillo, La Paz, Bolivia; Javier Cabral, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay; Melba and Pedro Lopez, Corrientes, Argentina; Juan Barbosa, Cordoba, Argentina.
Translation: Vera Gamez, Austin, Texas, USA/Andrea Stephens, USA