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Rafael Cuevas, Chile (izq.) Rafael Cuevas, Chile (l.) Rafael Cuevas, Chile (l.) Foto: Tomalá © 2005 |
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Festival de la Juventud Youth Festival Jugendfestival |
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Tu y yo por ellos You and me for them Du und ich für sie |
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Hogar de las naciones Home of the nations Heimat der Völker |
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La alianza: regalo... The Covenant: gift... Das Bündnis: Geschenk... |
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...y misión ... and mission ...und Sendung Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005 |
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Fotos: © 2005 |
WYD MOMENTS, Do you remember the feeling that overcomes you when you return home after a long time? That chill that runs through your body when you know that you are about to arrive after a long absence? The pride that you feel when you step on your land and you feel at home? That was my first impression of Schoenstatt, specifically when I entered the Original Shrine for the first time. Yes, for the first time. But it doesn’t matter if it is for the first time or the thousandth time you have done it since you will always feel the same: this place is your place. Why? Because it is inside of you, you live it, you dream about it, the only thing that changes is that now you can physically experience it.
It difficult for me to express what the Schoenstatt Festival was all about, first because it was the first time that I participated in a worldwide event and secondly because many things happened (at least to me), I believe that the best way to explain it is to tell about my evolution in Schoenstatt, and that sensation in the Original Shrine was the main thing. O.K.: I will continue with my narrative..After the initial experience I realized that I was there, that it was a reality, not a desire as in the past months.
Trust in me, I will never leave you
However, something was missing in this my home of Schoenstatt. I am not referring specifically to practical things (since the organizing team took incredible care for this) rather it was something personal…I needed to discover my response in Schoenstatt, where was my place, my home, finally, what did the Blessed Mother and Father want of me. I am not lying when I tell you that it was hard to do this with all the commotion that was going on in this place, but one day I decided to go to find out what it was. I moved away from my group, the noise, everything and I went to recognize Schoenstatt… it was incredible, I felt as if Mary took me through the forest of Schoenstatt (that is perfectly described in The Home Song in the book Heavenwards). I found signs that told me I was on the right path (among these signs was a series of "hidden" wayside shrines on the way) until the culminating moment of my search, Mary wanted to take me to the tomb of Father Joseph to tell something very simple: "Trust in me, I will never leave you". Just that, a brief phrase for a great mission.
A mission
This phrase also summarizes my stay in Schoenstatt. Obviously there are many more things, like the great friends that I made in this place (which I would like to greet from Chile: Julio, Andrea, Maria, Fabiola, Joao, Duca, Nuno, Marian, Filipa, Michael; I miss you!) and the good experiences that I had (to be able to play during the worldwide festival, to see one of my best friends as one of the three kings, to share and to learn about the Movement in an international atmosphere). I believe that the festival was a great experience for this reason: because we were able to share and to live a Schoenstatt brotherhood, we were able to receive a great mission as youth of the world (a Covenant to take our Schoenstatt to the world and the world to the Church…LET’S GO, WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!) and we were with our Father, our Mother,our older brothers, true martyrs of Christ.
Let us not leave our inheritance aside! We can do much more!
Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA