Everyday Sanctity Consecrates our Daily Life

Final Consecration of the First Course of the Mothers’ Federation in Portugal

17 de noviembre: Misa en el Santuario Original November 17: Holy Mass in the Original Shrine 17. November: Heilige Messe im Urheiligtum
P. Alejandro Martínez, hast ahora Asesor de la Federación de Madres en Portugal Fr. Alejandro Martínez, until now Assitant of the Mothers’ Federation in Portugal P. Alejandro Martínez, bis jetzt Gründungsbeauftragter für den Mütterbund in Portugal
Encuentro alegre Joyful encounter Herzliche Begegnung
Santa Misa en el Santuario Regnum Patris, cerca de la Casa Marienland Holy Mass at the Regnum Patris Shrine, at House Marienland Heilige Messe im Regnum Patris-Heiligtum bei Haus Marienland
Las medallas  -regalo de la Federacion de Madres de Alemania – sobre el altar del Santuario Original The medals – gift of the Mothers’ Federation in Germany – on the altar of the Original Shrine Die Bundesmedaillen, Geschenk des Mütterbundes in Deutschland, auf dem Altar des Urheiligtums
18 de noviembre, Santuario Original: Rito de la consagración perpetua November 18, Original Shrine: Rite of the Perpetual consecration 18. November, Urheiligtum: Ewigweihe Fotos: POS Fischer © 2007 Álbum de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

SCHOENSTATT, mkf. November 18^th – Covenant Day and Father Kentenich’s birthday – the final consecration of the first course of the Mothers’ Federation from Portugal took place in Schoenstatt. The 12 members experience being the founding course of the Federation in Portugal.

They arrived in Schoenstatt late on Friday night and were accommodated at House Sonnenau after searching for their luggage stranded on the way. On Saturday morning they celebrated Holy Mass in the Original Shrine along with some representatives from the Mothers’ Federation from Germany. They were accompanied by Father Alejandro Martínez, adviser to the Mothers’ Federation in Portugal until now, and by Sister Liane, their adviser since October. At the beginning of Mass, they were greeted by Sister Luciane, Leader of the Mothers’ Federation in Germany. She gave them a special gift: the medals which were a gift from the mothers from Germany. She placed the little box containing the medals at the foot of the cross in the Original Shrine.

The mothers from Portugal emphasized that they felt happy and proud to be part of a community which is not isolated, but rather is part of a community which seeks an international awareness. In a globalized world, Schoenstatt has in Father Kentenich a rich example of how to form an international organization.

After an enriching encounter with representatives of the German Federation and a few hours of recollection, the mothers closed the 17^th with a private hour at Father’s tomb which was beautifully decorated with bouquets of roses. What a coincidence…..they offered themselves to Father for his mission from the Shrine at the same time that a new Shoenstatt Shrine was being blessed in Crete, Nebraska.

To consecrate oneself is to enter into a relationship

"The great moment will soon arrive," says one of the mothers. She is visibly moved on the morning of November 18^th as they leave the dining room in Sonnenau. At 11:00 A.M., all gathered at the Shrine of the women’s branches on Mount Schoenstatt which is also "the home of the Mothers’ Federation," said Sr. Liane. In 1972, the Mothers’ Federation from Germany took the MTA picture for this Shrine to Rome. It was blessed by Pope Paul VI at the time of the attempt against the statue of the Pieta. This experience of taking the MTA picture and seeing the destruction of her image led the German Mothers’ Federation to their ideal of wanting to be a living image of the MTA: a transparency of the MTA. In response to Sr. Luciane’s explanation at the beginning of Mass, the mothers from Portugal joyfully responded: "Yes, who sees me, must see you!"

In his homily at Mass, Father Martínez explained the dimensions of the final consecration. He said that each consecration is a continuation of the baptismal consecration. Each consecration – of things or projects – is a total surrender; a consecration of persons, of oneself, is a total surrender of love in order to belong totally to God. Consecration also corresponds to aspiring for sanctity. Consecration does not make us saints "suddenly" (what a shame, eh?), rather it requires our aspiring for sanctity, for everyday sanctity. But it also counts in this sense: in this way, everyday sanctity gives us the consecration of daily life, that is daily life with all of its projects, things, and persons who are in our daily life.

Furthermore, consecration is a mutual surrender. It has the characteristics of covenant. It is a consecration to God which is at the same time a consecration to mankind.

Consecration is following Christ. It is to enter into a relationship with Him. It is creating a bond with Him, with God the Father, with the Holy Spirit and with Blessed Mother.

He emphasized that we do not consecrate ourselves for ourselves, but to build the Kingdom of God so that a new culture may come forth.

With our consecration to God, we do not leave behind Blessed Mother who led us in the Covenant of Love to this consecration. On the contrary, we assume anew her mission to build a Marian culture. We identify with her completely and choose her anew as the norm for our life. We consecrate ourselves to her to share her mission – her permanent mission as her mission for our times.

Each one consecrates herself individually, guided on her way to sanctity and sharing Mary’s mission for our times according to her personal ideal; but we also consecrate ourselves in community guided by the course ideal.

In the petitions and by means of the symbol which they took to the altar in the offertory procession, the Mothers expressed their surrender and commitment in a very profound and original way. Being the first course from Portugal – with three members from Spain – they feel they are the founding generation for the Mothers’ Federation in Portugal just as the Mothers from Spain feel they are the founding generation for the budding Federation in their country.

Having received so many graces

After Mass they went to Father’s room in the Formation House of the Sisters. Later they went to the Original Shrine for the Rite of Consecration.

Great was the surprise for one of the Mothers from Spain when she saw a familiar figure in front of the Shrine: her husband who had come from Spain to give her the joy of participating in this most important moment in her life!

The long awaited moment arrived…..They consecrated themselves forever as the first course of the Mothers’ Federation in Portugal, in the Original Shrine and on Covenant Day!

Then there was time to celebrate and they did so joyfully. "We are all very normal," they commented laughingly. "We want to be saints, yes, but normal saints who enjoy life and know how to celebrate!"

On Monday morning, after another Holy Mass in the Original Shrine where they gathered the gifts from these most blessed days, they returned to their countries to build, in their daily lives, a new culture.

Translation: Carlos Cantú Family Federation La Feria, Texas USA 112607