Jesus is the Water of Life

Some 20 Kenyans overcame great hardships to travel to Schoenstatt in order to celebrate the Novices’ Reception with Sr. Lydia, Kenya’s first Sister of Mary

¡Nieve en Schoenstatt! Snow in Schoenstatt Es hat geschneit!
Santa Misa en el Santuario de las Hermanas de María Holy Mass in the Shrine of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary Heilige Messe im Heiligtum der Marienschwestern
La Hermana M. Lydia entrega tinajas Sister M. Lydia gives small jars to her compatriots Schw. M. Lydia schenkte ihren Landsleuten kleine Krüge
Monte Schoenstatt: aventura en la nieve Mount Schoenstatt – the snow adventure Schnee auf Berg Schönstatt – ein Abenteuer
En la Sala Emilie en Metternich In the Emilie Room in Metternich Im Emilie-Zimmer in Metternich Fotos: Melissa Ann Schmid © 2008

SCHOENSTATT, Melissa Ann Schmid. On Tuesday, March 4^th, 2008, the family and friends of Sr. Lydia from Kenya spent their last day with her before she began her next intensive course with the Sisters of Mary. Sr. Lydia was one of the seven novices who entered the community last Sunday, March 2^nd. This last day together consisted of a morning Mass in the Mt. Schoenstatt Shrine, followed by lunch, then an afternoon at Metternich visiting the grave of Sr. Emilie, and commencing with a most glorious sunset. They will forever thank God for this most perfect day.

God blessed the Kenyans right from the start of the day with blanketing Mt. Schoenstatt with fresh, white snow. "We have never seen snow before!" They all commented excitedly as they came into the Shrine for Mass. In the quiet peace of the Shrine, they began to pray and once everyone had taken their seats, they stood and sang a procession song in Kikuyu, their native African language. Father Peter, one of the six priests who had traveled together from Kenya, celebrated the Mass. "The intention of this Mass is to thank God for the gift of each one of us. To be here (in Schoenstatt) today is a special gift – to be seeing each other and to have made new friends – it is a special gift. We also thank God for the gift of Sr. Lydia’s vocation and for all vocations of the Schoenstatt brothers and sisters."

Reflecting on the First Reading

The First Reading was Ezekiel 47: 1-9, 12. The prophet, Ezekiel, foreshadows the Savior, who is to be the living water for all mankind: "Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh." In his homily, Fr. Peter reminded the congregation that, "Jesus is the living water that is healing, that brings back life, that cures all diseases, that renews the beauty in the blossoming trees. How beautiful are those who have taken this living water – this miraculous water? How much is life restored when we have lost hope, when we are suffering from whatever kind of physical, spiritual, or emotional illness and we turn to Jesus – the Water of Life?"

He talked of the many hardships the Kenyans had to endure in order to come to Schoenstatt, such as financial difficulties and gaining permission from government authorities to travel abroad in spite of the current rebellious situation in Kenya. "We are here because of our faith." As Jesus is the Living Water, so Mary is the carrier of the water who leads us to the source so we too can draw water. "We thank Mary for accepting to be a way through which this water can flow down to our lives." Truly, Mary worked a miracle to bring these children of hers to Schoenstatt.

Sister Lydia sends Schoenstatt graces back to Kenya

In her testimony that was shared last Saturday evening with those who had participated in the Novice Reception, Sr. Lydia stated that she is choosing to, "make a sacrifice of LOVE for the MISSION of Kenya, Africa and the whole world." Just two days after entering the Sisters of Mary community, she has already taken action in her missionary work. "I have been longing and waiting for my ‘wedding’, in which I am united with Jesus, for many years. I am so grateful that you could celebrate with me. I now belong to a new family, but you will always be my family too." With these words, she presented each couple with a Capital of Grace jar and asked them to keep the jars in their Home Shrines and take them to a Wayside Shrine on each 18^th day of the month to burn their contributions. She challenged them to live as Schoenstatt members in their everyday lives and reminded them that the Mother Thrice Admirable will continue to rain graces down upon them in Kenya as she has done for them here in Schoenstatt. Then, Sr. Lydia presented the six Kenyan priests with a candle holder of six figurines of priests assembled in a circle. "As you can see, the figurines are holding hands. So too, should the six of you hold hands and work in unity to grow the Schoenstatt Movement in Kenya with the heart of God the Father (the candle) burning brightly in the center of your unity." She ended with a promise to pray for them that they bond together in love and harmony.

After the celebration ended, everyone rushed outside, including the priests, to engage in a full-blown snowball fight! Everyone was laughing, smiling, and singing for joy! Such a child-like faith gives witness to us all that God is great.

Captivated by Sr. Emilie’s Story: An Afternoon in Metternich

After a hearty lunch, which is actually too much food for the Kenyans – so they say, everyone boarded the bus to head to Metternich. Sr. Angela accompanied the group as their personal tour guide. Since the Schoenstatt Movement in Kenya is relatively new (in fact, Kenya’s first Covenant of Love was made in 1994; plus, the country does not yet have a sister Shrine, and many of these Kenyans are seeing a Shrine for the first time in their lives on this trip), the story of Sr. Emilie proved to be entirely new for them, and all were captivated by this modern-day saint.

They first visited the Shrine of the Providence where they sang a beautiful song in Kikuyu to our Blessed Mother. Then, Sister Angela instructed them on the symbols of the Shrine. "Sr. Emilie had a great love for God the Father, and this was evident in her child-like faith. You can see the All-Seeing Eye of our Father God above the MTA picture in this Shrine. This reminds us that God sees us, He loves us, and He needs us. That is something to remember when you go back to Kenya. All the joy and peace you are experiencing here in Schoenstatt you can also experience in Kenya when you have a child-like faith as Sr. Emilie did," stated Sr. Angela.

"Knowing about what it all means makes it that much more precious," commented one of the women afterward as they walked solemnly to Sr. Emilie’s grave. Another traditional song of praise from Africa was offered up for Sr. Emilie. Then, they proceeded to the Providence House where the Mother Superior welcomed each with a warm smile and invited them to enjoy a fanciful assortment of cakes and coffee. Everyone was delighted with such kind hospitality. The tour ended in the Sr. Emilie Room where Sr. Angela presented a brief history of her life to the group.

All were satisfied with the day’s events as they walked back to the bus. "Everything is just so beautiful here!" Some exclaimed. Others announced that, "We aren’t going back to Kenya! We’re staying here in Schoenstatt!" The next day, March 5^th, would prove to be a perfect day as well with a Mass celebration in the Original Shrine, a very precious gift each one of them is so grateful for. These wonderful people are examples of how the Water of Life – Jesus – has flowed through them and renewed their spirits, and they shall live forever.