19 February 2021 · 2021-02 newsletter
Family, be what you are: Domestic Church
Dear Schoenstatt Family and Friends,
I wish you many blessings for this Covenant Day- the 18th February. Although it doesn’t seem so long since we were celebrating the season of Christmas, yesterday we commemorated Ash Wednesday and began our time of preparation for the great feast of Easter. During Lent we are asked to give special attention to our prayer life, fasting and good deeds.
Today when we celebrate and renew our Covenant of Love, we are reminded that Father Kentenich saw the Covenant of Love as not only a covenant of love, but also a covenant of sacrifice.
He said:
“We have often heard it said that the Blessed Mother had to pay a high price to become our Mother. We also should pay a high price to become her children. We should pray very much to become every-day saints. We have often talked about Sister M. Emilie. One of her favourite prayers was:
Almighty and eternal God, through the intercession of our Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen of Schoenstatt, make me a great saint and do not spare my weak nature. And help me that I will not spare my poor, weak nature.
This is the connecting bridge between Lent and our covenant of love. There can be no love without sacrifices. Love is nourished by sacrifice, just as the flame is nourished by the wax of the candle. Sacrifice nourishes love. On the other hand, sacrifices are also the fruit of love. Lent wants to strengthen us through our sacrifices. It should cost us something. We should also pray with Sister Emilie:
Almighty God, do not spare me and help me that I will not spare my poor, weak nature.
….. Lent means to let God rule over our nature. We want to pray more during this holy time. To pray means to surrender ourselves to the heavenly Father. We bring our sacrifices in order to approach the Father in the right manner, not with empty hands.”
(J. Kentenich, 13.2.1956 “On Monday Evenings”)
Again on the following Monday evening (20.2.1956), he re-emphasised:
“Our covenant is not only a covenant of love, but also a covenant of sacrifice.
We renew the covenant of love and of sacrifice on each 18th. I say, the Blessed Mother loves me, and I also love her…..We want to bring our sacrifices to the shrine each month on the 18th. Why should we do that? The Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen needs our contributions to the capital of grace.”
(JK 20.2.1956 “On Monday Evenings”)
Some questions for reflection
- If I believe that our Covenant of Love, is also a covenant of sacrifice, how do I respond when God sends me crosses and hardships?
- Can I offer these sacrifices joyfully to our Blessed Mother as contributions to the Capital of Grace?
- Just looking pious is not enough for God. We have to translate faith into action. How can I make this a “season of active mercy?”
I couldn’t think of a better way to conclude this spiritual input than to share with you the words that Father Kentenich used at the end of his talk to the couples on 13th February, 1956:
“I wish you all many blessings and graces from the Shrine during this Lenten season. May Our Blessed Mother be with us all and help us to prepare worthily for the great blessings of Easter.”
United in our covenant,
Shirley Hall
Filed underNewsletter · Reflections