13 August 2021 · 2021-08 newsletter
Family, be what you are: Domestic Church
Dear Schoenstatt Family and Friends,
Blessings and greetings for this Covenant Day – 18th August. This month our Covenant Sunday celebration falls on the 15th August – the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
This Feast day should be a sign of great hope for us all, because it is a reminder to us that God not only showed his merciful love for Mary throughout her life, but he also shows His merciful love to us during our life.
With this in mind, I would like to offer you the following words from our father and founder:
We should see God behind everything in our daily life, in our joys, and in our sorrows. .….We must remember at all times that there is a definite purpose in all that happens to us, even if it hurts us at the time. In all situations, we should keep in mind that God is our loving father, and we should be ready to say, "Yes, Father," to anything that is in his plan for us, whether it is a cross or joy which he sends. We must put our whole trust in Divine Providence.
…….We know that God will send only what we are able to carry. If the load is too heavy, he will strengthen us by putting, as it were, his own shoulders under the beams of the cross.
We must learn to love God in a personal manner. He is a loving father…. We want to discuss everything with God and the Blessed Mother because where God is, there is also the Blessed Mother. She knows what plans are laid out for us. She is truly the servant of the Lord, but she is also his helper. We can speak to both of them in a very personal manner. We know: the heavenly Father wants us to put our trust in him through the Blessed Mother.
We want to take our covenant of love seriously and give the blank cheque to the Blessed Mother, that is, we want to say ‘yes’ to everything which the dear God has prepared for us. Looking into the future, we ask ourselves: Are we able to say, “Yes, Father; yes, Mother,” if sudden misfortune comes upon us? Will we be able to say, “Yes, your will be done.” ….. It is easy to say “Yes, Father, your will be done,” if the table is set, and we have a warm home and good health.
We do not want to forget to see God behind everything. He permits suffering for our sanctification.”
(22nd January 1956, Fr. J. Kentenich, “On Monday Evenings Vol.1”, P91)
Pope Francis said:
“Mary is the handmaid of the Father who sings his praises. She is the friend who is ever concerned that wine not be lacking in our lives. She is the woman whose heart was pierced by a sword and who understands all our pain….. As a true mother, she walks at our side, she shares our struggles and she constantly surrounds us with God’s love. Through her many titles, often linked to her shrines, Mary shares the history of each people which has received the Gospel and she becomes a part of their historic identity….. There, in these many shrines, we can see how Mary brings together her children who with great effort come as pilgrims to see her and to be seen by her. Here they find strength from God to bear the weariness and the suffering in their lives….. Mary offers them maternal comfort and love, and whispers in their ear: ‘Let your heart not be troubled….. Am I not here, who am your Mother?’
(From: “The Church of Mercy”, by Pope Francis, 2014, Pp.156-157)
As we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on this August Covenant day, we ask our Blessed Mother to take us deeply into the covenant of love with her, and to lead us to the Triune God so that we too may share more fully in her mission for Schoenstatt and the Church.
Could I ask you to also continue to pray for those members of our Schoenstatt Family who in these difficult times are struggling in any way, especially with illness, either themselves or members of their family. May our Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt, send them grace and blessings from her shrine.
Blessed Mother……
Let us walk like you through life,
let us mirror you forever,
strong and noble, meek and mild,
peace and love be our endeavour.
Walk in us through our world,
make it ready for the Lord. Amen
United in Covenant Loyalty,
Shirley Hall
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