A world to change

A group of boys sealed their Covenant of Love with the MTA

Parte del grupo Part of the group Ein Teil der Gruppe
Juan Francisco Viñas recibe su medalla de alianza Juan Francisco Viñas receiving his Covenant Medal Juan Francisco Viñas bekommt seine Weihemedaille
Felicitaciones por parte de la familia de Schoenstatt Congratulations of the Schoenstatt family Die Schönstattfamilie ist zur Stelle und gratuliert
... especialmente los padres, novias, y la Juventud Femenina ...specially parents, girl-friends, and the Girls’ Youth … vor allem Eltern, Freundinnen und die Mädchenjugend
Entrada a la sala de fiesta Entering the party hall Einzug in den Festsaal Fotos: Javier Cabral © 2007

PARAGUAY, Juan Francisoco Viñas. "It’s wonderful to see the enthusiasm and joy of these fervent youth! Their ardent love and loyalty for the MTA are a great inspiration. God willing, the flame that burns in their hearts will set the world on fire!" writes Melissa, from the United States, after seeing the video of fifteen youth from Ciudad del Este who sealed their Covenant of Love. The video has been available for some time on the schoenstatt.de web page for audios and videos. It is the mutual empathy of ardent hearts for the Blessed Mother that allowed her to discover these testimonies of young love that are so inspiring…This event took place on November 17^th, on the eve of the 18^th, when fifteen youth from Ciudad del Este sealed their Covenant of Love.

Juan Franciso Viñas, an Argentinean seminarian of the Schoenstatt Fathers, prepared them for this Covenant; it was also a moment that marked him deeply, according to his narration.

This year, a group of fifteen young men decided to seal their Covenant of Love with the Blessed Mother. They are José Maria Cabral, Jesús Aranda, José Antonio Duarte, Wilson Anisimoff, Emilio Allende, Thiago Allende, José Luis Solis, Carlos Aderete, Aldo Sosa, Rodrigo Colman, Luis Fernando Melgarejo, Alejo Escovar, Roberto Berino, Javier Raidan, and Pedro Ortiz.

When I was doing my practice in Parguay, it was an honor for me when José Antonio Duarte (Joan), Pedro Ortiz (Cacho), and Jesús asked me to prepare them for this milestone. My Covenant candle had been consumed for some time, and I acquired another one on September 21^st, the anniversary of the Youth Shrine. I had lost my Covenant medal. This was the voice of time to decide to renew my Covenant with these boys who would seal it this year. And I decided to do it.

My land…

We used the model of a Covenant circle, which had been implemented in the Branch of University students in Asunción, but we made some changes. In the first place these changes were made because they aren’t a group who just met through the Covenant (like in the circle); rather, they were already part of a Life Group for several years. This is an advantage and strength since a Schoenstatt group has a much better prognosis than a group, which has recently begun like the university groups. Of course there are exceptions, but in general this has been my experience until now.

After I arrived to Ciudad del Este, I experienced something special. During the Covenant retreat I explained to them that it was about this Shrine, the Land. It is truly a welcoming place. At this place one experiences being in a Land with the resplendence of Tabor where our Lady Thrice Admirable reigns… "It is my land, it is my Schoenstatt land." (From Heavenwards)

But living in a city, it is easy to lose one’s identity and become a sub-product of society. A city offers every kind of vice, noise, and distractions. These distractions and these noises take us away from what the Blessed Mother had in mind for each one of us, for each one of her Boys’ Youth.

Schoenstatt is an attitude

This year, those fifteen young men made the decision to allow themselves not just to be loved and sheltered; but to be educated by the MTA, because this is definitely the most noble and the purest thing that can exist in our lives as men. One of them said once, "Schoenstatt is not an idea, it’s an attitude." Throughout the talks we had in the Shrine every Thursday night at ten o’clock, she took us by the hand and she began to knock on our hearts in order to mold them according to her Son’s. It has been a year of decisions for each one, it has been a year to choose whether to continue with the life of the masses, or to aspire to something more.

It is about believing not only in God, but also in ourselves, if we dare to believe that we can live another way- that my country can change, and that "I can change myself." That I can be strong, that I can demand of myself to be valiant in order to attain a mission worthy of a knight of the Blessed Mother. She does not expect nor does she deserve anything less. It is about showing her by our deeds that we love her.

The fifteen youth have taken an important step in their lives. The Blessed Mother is always loyal to this Covenant. Now they should prove it in their lives. They should prove it not only in their personal life but also in their university, their family, and in their commitment to Schoenstatt. This has also been an advantage. The fruits of each one in their prayer and in their self-education will be the best proof of what I am saying. For me it has been a gift to participate in their Covenant, it is a bond that will never be broken, in spite of being separated when I finish my internship. And every time we renew the Covenant we will be united shoulder to shoulder in the Land…just like on November 17^th and we will tell the Blessed Mother, "Thank you once again for giving us a world to change."

It is important to point out that the author received a new Covenant medal from the hands of Father Tommy Nin Mitchell!

Videos

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