He is the Light

Christmas in the Shrines of the world

Dequeni: Celebración del fin del año Dequeni: Year’s end Celebration Dequeni: Weihnachts- und Jahresabschlussfeier Fotos: Dequeni/Medina © 2007
Nochebuena en Lima, Perú – con corte de luz Christmas in Lima, Peru – with power failure Chistmette in Lima, Peru – bei totalem Stromausfall
Lima: Sin Cristo, no hay luz... Lima: Without Christ, there is no light... Lima: Ohne Christus ist kein Licht in der Welt Fotos: Queca Espinoza © 2007
Campanario, Chile: participación masiva Campanario, Chile: a big number of participants Campanario, Chile: zahlreiche Beteiligung
Campanario: veneración del Niño Jesús Campanario: veneration of Baby Jesus Campanario: Verehrung des Jesuskindes Fotos: Ortiz/Cintolesi © 2007 Álbum de fotos – photo album – Fotoalbum

INTERNATIONAL, mkf. Your Shrine is our Bethlehem was the experience lived in the Schoenstatt Shrines of the world this Christmas. We share impressions from Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru.

Queca Espinoza tells about a very special Christmas Eve in the Shrine of La Molina, Lima, Peru:

The world is dark if God is not present

The Shrine looked especially beautiful and was decorated with a green and red awning that gave it the feeling of Christmas. The children who were to take part in the Living Manger were ready, entire families arrived, and almost 300 chairs set up for this event were filled, and the choir began to sing Christmas carols while waiting for Father José Luis Correa, the celebrant for the Holy Mass, to enter. All of a sudden the lights blinked, which frightened us, and then the lights went out. The classic ‘noooooooooooooooooooooo!’ was heard. This happened not only at the Shrine, but the surrounding area was also dark. We were asked to stay calm and not move, we waited ten minutes, while those in charge decided what to do if the lights did not return: The Mass was to be outdoors and the microphones were not working. Susana Escobar said: ‘Let us pray three, I Trust Your Might,’ and we all began to pray, but the lights did not return… Then Father José Luis said, ‘Let us begin with the Eucharist and then, for the safety of the children, we will present the Living Manger when the lights return.’

There weren’t enough candles for the lectors or for the choir. We began with a nervous Adestes Fideles since there weren’t enough candles to read clearly. We felt calmer when Father José Luis said at the beginning of the Eucharist: ‘This isn’t a coincidence; we weren’t prepared for something like this, not in this way. The proverb says: Man proposes and God disposes. Let’s take this opportunity to reflect on this event, this is how the world is, it’s dark when God is not present. He is the light.’ At the Communion time it was hard to mobilize so many people in the dark. Our only point of reference was the altar.

The choir began to sing Miracle of Love

Miracle of love so infinite
where you, my God were made
so small and humble to enter me.
Miracle of Love so infinite
Where you, my God forgot
your glory and majesty for me.

Yes, this is what happens at every Holy Eucharist: A miracle of love.

Then everyone consecrated themselves to the Blessed Mother, Father invited us to enter the Shrine slowly and in an orderly manner to adore the Child Jesus.

The darkness produced a great silence and devoutness that provided a special mystical atmosphere. We didn’t have the Live Manger, which was programmed; I can imagine…that it was frustrating for the parents and for the children who had prepared and organized it with songs and rehearsed Christmas carols. It didn’t happen, as they would have liked; but we also offered this to Our Blessed Mother for the Capital of Grace. Only She knows that our offering was perhaps for someone in the world, in some hospital, jail, nursing home, or orphanage so they would not feel the loneliness and so Jesus could be born in their hearts…"

A child given to us…

Already several days before Christmas, Christmas was celebrated in the main house of Dequeni, in Paraguay. More that 2,000 beneficiaries of the different projects came to the main house to end the year. It was great demonstration of optimism and hope which paid tribute to those men, women, youth, and children who took care of their communities throughout the year by taking care of their well being and that of their families.

Attending this day were the beneficiaries of the daycare and community centers from Asuncion, Fernando de la Mora, Luque, Limpio, J. A. Saldivar, Ypané, Caacupé, and Arroyos Esteros. This activity is held each year as a testimony of a people who are progressing and bettering their quality of life with the help of the benefactors, businesses, organizations, and friends through the Dequeni Foundation. The event began with a Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a Living Manger and Christmas carols where the children from the projects represented the birth of Jesus and in this way renewed our hope for a better year in 2008 in the presence of God. As the child, Jesus, each child, especially each child who suffers, is given to all the men of good will. What a privilege to be able to take care of and to promote one of these little ones in whom the most affectionate face of God is reflected, and that of the Child in the manger in complete poverty…

This was a fruitful year for the Foundation. They were able to secure ten areas: Asunció, Limpio, Luque, Fernando de la Mora, Caacupé, Arroyos Esteros, Ypanie, J. A. Saldivar, Caaguazú, and Ciudad del Este with twenty-two daycare and community projects for the benefit of 3,376 children, 900 youth, and 1,817 families. The scholarship campaign of solidarity is still in progress. Thanks to the articles on schoenstatt.de during the last few days we received scholarships from Poland and Germany.

The angelic choir

On December 24^th and 25^th three Masses were celebrated in the Youth Shrine at Asunción: Monday, Christmas Eve, and Tuesday at 1:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and at 7:00 p.m. Many families attended all of them. The nighttime Mass was highlighted by the presence of the novices and their angelic choir. The ceremony was very touching. The ten new Eucharistic Ministers were presented, and Father Pistilli paid tribute of words of farewell to Riky Careaga upon finishing his work as adviser to the Boys’ Youth, and he will begin a new mission: he will be a great Father for the SOS Neighborhood of San Ignacio. At the end of the talk, the faithful responded with an intense and warm applause.

In the Shrine of Campanario, Chile, 2,500 people attended Midnight Mass; the celebrant was Father Horacio Rivas. A beautiful touch: The choir – of the Federation and of the Mothers’ Branch – was inside the Shrine, so the Christmas songs came from the Shrine!

In the Bethlehem that never ends

Midnight Mass at the Shrine of Belgrano, Buenos Aires, was celebrated at 8:00 p.m. because of the number of delinquents! In almost all the parishes of Buenos Aires, masses were held at this time, and at the cathedral it was held at 9:00 p.m. The atmosphere was sad because of the death of Father Horacio. Someone took a photo of him in front of the Shrine of Belgrano and placed it on the altar. Many people are very appreciative of him for his help and many testimonies were heard.

Many testimonies are arriving and continue to arrive day by day to the web page, which is dedicated to him as a birthday gift; a birthday he will celebrate in the heavenly Bethlehem that never ends…

Testimonies about Father Horacio Sosa (mostly Spanish)

Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA /amj