16 May 2025 · 2025-05 newsletter
United in the Covenant – Pilgrims of Hope
Dear Schoenstatt Family and Friends,
Blessings and greetings for this Covenant Day – 18th May. The month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
At all times, but especially during this month we give special thanks to Our Lady for all the gifts and graces she has given us through our Shrines and through our Covenant of Love and for being always with us in our daily lives.
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Mary is a true sign of hope because she is a reminder that God was not only faithful to her throughout her life, but that he always remains faithful to us. At the hour of the Annunciation, Mary said her ‘yes’, her ‘fiat’ to God and throughout her life, she never withdrew this ‘fiat’.
When Jesus was born in a stable, Mary said her yes and never lost hope or trust in the Heavenly Father. When the holy family went into exile in Egypt, she said her yes, during his public ministry when Jesus was ridiculed, abused and misunderstood, Mary never lost hope. At the crucifixion, Mary stood under the cross never doubting the faithfulness of the Heavenly Father. She never lost hope. Mary is truly a sign of hope for us in all that we encounter in today’s world.
Father Kentenich said:
“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.
(22nd January 1956, Fr. J. Kentenich, “On Monday Evenings Vol.1”, P91)
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
In the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis said that
”Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring….
24. Hope finds its supreme witness in the Mother of God. In the Blessed Virgin, we see that hope is not naive optimism but a gift of grace amid the realities of life. Like every mother, whenever Mary looked at her Son, she thought of his future. ……
Mary cooperated for our sake in the fulfilment of all that her Son had foretold in announcing that he would have to “undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mk 8:31). In the travail of that sorrow, offered in love, Mary became our Mother, the Mother of Hope.
It is not by chance that popular piety continues to invoke the Blessed Virgin as Stella Maris, a title that bespeaks the sure hope that, amid the tempests of this life, the Mother of God comes to our aid, sustains us and encourages us to persevere in hope and trust.”
United in our Covenant of Love, may each of you receive many blessings and graces from the Shrine on this Covenant Day and for the remainder of May, this special month of Our Lady.
May our Covenant of Love bring hope and peace and joy to each of you and your families.
United in our covenant,
Shirley Hall
Filed underNewsletter · Reflections