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El Santuario Original, el 21 de diciembre, cubierto de escarcha The Original Shrine on December 21, covered by hoar-frost Das Urheiligtum am 21. Dezember im Raureif Foto: POS Fischer © 2007 |
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Bendición para futuros padres en el retiro de adviento de familias polacas Blessing for future parents at the advent retreat for Polish families Segen für werdende Eltern beim Adventswochenende der polnischen Familien |
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Enviados en la presencia de la Auxiliar con la luz de Schoenstatt Sent out in the presence of the Auxiliary and with the light from Schoenstatt Ausgesendet in der Gegenwart der Auxiliar mit dem Licht von Schönstatt |
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San Nicolás visita a las familias polacas St. Nicholas visiting with the Polish families St. Nikolaus besucht die polnischen Familien Fotos: Sr. Damiana Czogalla © 2007 |
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18 de diciembre: Después de la renovoación de la Alianza de Amor December 18: after the Covenant renewal 18. Dezember: nach der Bündniserneuerung |
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Lluvia de estrellas… (Foto de 2006) Shower of stars.... (Photo taken in 2006) Sternenregen… (Foto von 2006) Fotos: POS Fischer © 2007 |
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SCHOENSTATT, mkf. Our Shrine is our Bethlehem! It is throughout the year, but even more so during Christmas. It can already be seen, looking with the eyes of faith, decorated with thousands of the most beautiful stars. They are the ones that continue to arrive since the beginning of Advent from throughout the world: they are stars with the name of people whom one wants to be present on Christmas Eve in Schoenstatt. Until now they have arrived from 29 countries: in Europe – Poland, Romania, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, France, Spain, Scotland, Norway – the Americas: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Mexico, United States, Colombia, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Costa, Rica, Panama – Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, - and Australia.
On Christmas Eve, they will be taken to the Original Shrine, to the manger of the Adoration Church and to Father’s tomb, praying in these holy places and during these hours of grace that all that was offered in the stars, will be received with infinite affection by the Child Jesus and the Blessed Mother, just like the shepherds on that Christmas Eve when they approached the Child Jesus and they experienced the transforming power of His love. Thinking about the stars that continue to arrive daily to be in the Original Shrine, our Bethlehem, the words of the Prophet Isaish come to mind as they apply to our beloved Original Shrine:
The nations will walk in your light,
and kings at the resplendence of your aura.
Lift your eyes and look around you:
Everyone gathers and comes to you...
Your doors will be continually open:
They will not close during the day nor at night,
To allow the treasures of the nations to come to you...
(Isaiah 60, 3-4,11).
The gates of heaven open...
The last 18th of the year was profoundly marked by the news of the death of Father Hernan Alessandri. This afternoon the Covenant Mass in Schoenstatt was offered for him. On the same 18th, Sister M. Margarita died in Argentina, she was a Sister of only 31 years of age. All of Argentina had prayed for a miracle of a cure. God had other plans...On December 20th, Father Horacio Sosa, Assistant General of th Schoenstatt Family Institute, died at the age of 63. May the gates of heaven be opened for Sister Margarita and Father Alessandri!
On a cold night, after the Covenant Mass in the Pilgrims’ Chruch, the braver ones gathered around the Original Shrine, in spite of the glacial cold, to once more renew the Covenant of Love united to everyone who "desires to be where we are privileged of being"...
In his homily, Fathe Egon Zillekens spoke abut the different Advent and Christmas customs, many, such as the Advent calendar, the gifts, the Christmas trees, exist often without any relation to the mystery of the Incarnation. He told about his experiences as a pastor in Ecuador, where on Christmas Eve everyone took their Child Jesus. The days before Christmas were dedicated to seeking, perhaps dusting, and to again dressing the Child Jesus. What do you do during these days?, he asked, and he encouraged everyone to "seek the Child Jesus" during these days...
Prepare the way for the Lord to come....
In Schoenstatt, there were many activities to encourage the "seeking of the Child Jesus"
The Pilgrims Masses on Sundays were a well received offer for families with children, there were many Advent Retreats in the afternoons for older persons, with the postulants of the Sisters of Mary and others acting and singing in a drama about Mary’s Advent events.
Each first Wednesday of the month, the Polish families gather for Holy Mass in the Shrine of Families; On December 6th they had a celebration where a real "Saint Nicolas" appeared to the great joy of the children. On December 15th & 16th, an Advent retreat was offered for Polish speaking families, which was very well received. The presence of the German Auxiliary, which was recently crowned, was a special joy for the families, many of whom are missionaries or they receive the Pilgrim MTA. The retreat ended with the blessing of a couple who is expecting a baby.
Everyone may come to you
Now everything is a preparation for Christmas, the first pilgrims who want to be in Schoenstatt for Christmas Eve are arriving – a couple from Buenos Aires, the Adriaanse Family from South Africa, and there are also youth from Chile who will spend some time in Schoenstatt...On December 26th, the "10 Minutes at the Manger" will begin anew, and with this, Schoenstatt will be filled with many people, especially families with children.
This is the 10th edition of the 10 minutes, where we again experience that: "Everyone can come to you, Child Jesus...rich and poor, great and small, healthy or ill, sinners or saints, the wise and the simple, the powerful and the weak...and also me".
Translation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA