16 October 2020 · 2020-10 newsletter
REFLECTION:
We know that Father Kentenich always asked what God had in mind for him in every circumstance. He himself never had any ‘grand plan’ to establish Schoenstatt. It developed according to God’s plan and according to life. Below we hear from our father himself speak about how Schoenstatt came into being…..
Behold Your Mother … the beginning of Schoenstatt’s history
In 1966, Fr. Kentenich gave this reflection on his early years as an educator:
“After God placed the responsibility for the youth in my hands [in 1912], it was naturally my main interest to see to it that the boys fulfilled the purpose of their life in every circumstance, especially since they were preparing to be priests. This was my question: How can I see to it that God is the most central thing for all of them until the end of their life? How can I see to it that they always strive to grow, always give themselves to God, and always fulfil their mission, even when they are no longer under my influence? It was of no use to bind them to myself; they would only stay the course as long as they were in connection with me. I found no better means than to take seriously the last will and testament of Our Lord. He said to John, “Son, behold your Mother!” John – this is us. To give the youth to Our Lady, to the extent that this was in my power back then, meant to place into their hands the surest means to fulfilling their purpose in life. That is the beginning of our history.
(From: Brushstrokes 2, Fr. J. Niehaus – P.41-42 – Talk for Schoenstatt Mothers and pilgrims, May 19, 1966: Uns gesagt, Vol. 1, p. 139; cited in Schönstattmutter 1985, No. 1, p. 20.)
In 1952 Father Kentenich said:
“Allow me to state repeatedly that I would never have had the courage, and I would not have it now, to attempt to carry out our great task unless our shrine, with is intrinsic value and symbolic meaning, had taken on that place in the whole Family which it obviously has according to God’s unmistakable plan. God’s plan and the shrine essentially belong together.
(13 May, 1952)
The seeds of Schoenstatt – sown already in 1912
Background: Only two years after being ordained as a Pallottine Priest, Fr. Kentenich was appointed spiritual director of the Pallottine Minor Seminary in Schoenstatt on the October 25, 1912. Two days later he introduced himself to the students with a talk which has since become known as Schoenstatt’s Pre-founding Document. Father Kentenich was aware that the students were in a state of rebellion over the strict house rules and he needed to do something to help them.
The words contained in ‘The Program’ of 1912” that he presented contain in retrospect, “seeds” that later became a reality in Schoenstatt’s history.’ What are some of these “seeds” of our Schoenstatt spirituality we find in there?
Firstly, he took in the situation within the Minor Seminary and the feelings of the boys towards the strict rules that had been imposed on them. He firstly offered the boys his service and his heart: He said: “I now place myself entirely at your disposal with all that I am and have, my knowledge and ignorance, my ability and inability, but above all, my heart.” We know that in later years Father Kentenich often said that he had never done anything without his family. For example, in 1958 he said: “This mission was not placed on my shoulders alone, but also upon the shoulders of all Schoenstatt children. God has called you to help me fulfil this great mission.”
His appointment as Spiritual Director had come about entirely without Fr Kentenich’s doing. Therefore in the Pre-Founding Document he said: “Hence, it must be God’s will. I am resigned to it, and I am determined to fulfil my duties to all of you… as perfectly as possible” These words reveal the seed of Schoenstatt’s practical faith in Divine Providence, a faith in God our Father who speaks to us through the law of the open door, revealing to us his plan of love and mercy.
He translated the students’ search for freedom into a program that would engage the young men in a positive way: He said, “What is our aim then? (….) Under the protection of Mary we want to learn to educate ourselves to become firm, free, priestly personalities.”
This is none other than Schoenstatt’s ideal of the ‘New person in the new community.” Among one of Father Kentenich’s definitions is: ‘the new person is the person who puts heart and soul into whatever he or she does, who is motivated by love. The new community is a community that is wholehearted in its commitment so that its members live spiritually in, with and for one another.’ This became a central goal of Schoenstatt’s entire pedagogy of education and a central part of Schoenstatt’s mission for the Church and society.
He also said: “We want to learn, not merely in theory, no, we must also learn in practice. We must put our hand to the plough every day, every hour. How did we learn to walk? No one gave us a theory lesson on it – no, someone took us by the hand and we started. Therefore we must learn to educate ourselves through constant practice in self-education.
How much did Father Kentenich stress self-education? He said “Self-education is an imperative for our time. One does not need much knowledge of the world to realize that our time, with all its discoveries, cannot remove our inner emptiness.” Although he said this in 1912, how relevant is it still for us today? Perhaps even more so?
He had put the whole talk under the title (motto) of “ ‘Under the protection of Mary we want to learn to educate ourselves to become firm, free, priestly personalities’ This not only speaks of the ‘new person in the new community’ as mentioned above, but for Father Kentenich it was one of the principles of Schoenstatt’s spirituality – “the education towards being firm, free personalities”. He exemplified this “freedom” in his own life and we have many examples of how he was able to remain free regardless of where he was. Whether in the Dachau concentration camp, or in exile in Milwaukee, he was able to say that he was always “free” – free to say ‘yes’ to God’s will at all times.
We can also see that the ultimate focus of this whole program, and of all that developed in Schoenstatt, was “under the protection of Mary…..” Therein lies the seed of father’s belief in the Mother Thrice Admirable as the great Mother and Educator.
Fr. Kentenich once said: “Keep your place in the heart of Our Lady (in the shrine). You belong there whatever happens. There you will find peace, security and confidence in the victory in every circumstance and in every instance. Do good whenever the opportunity arises and see a kind Father-hand in everything. He guides your destiny according to His wise plan of love.”
The following are some seeds which can be discovered in the Pre-Founding Document:
Practical faith in Divine Providence; the ideal of the New Person in the New Community; serious striving for Everyday Sanctity and Self Education which allow the stream of grace to flow from our Shrines through our contributions to the Capital of Grace; the Education of the Free Personality and the Mother Thrice Admirable as our Mother and Educator.
Over one hundred years later these seeds have developed into a mighty tree and we can only marvel at the wonderful way in which Schoenstatt’s history and spirituality has grown and how the covenant of love has taken root around the world. Today the Original Shrine in Schoenstatt has been replicated in the many daughter shrines around the world (in more than over 30 countries) as well as the countless wayside shrines, home shrines, heart shrines and pilgrim shrines.
Shirley Hall
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