18 July 2023 · 2023-07 newsletter
Friday – Sunday 23 – 25 June 2023
The weekend retreat for families began on Friday with dinner and then a welcome in the house chapel room. The ice-breaker activity was a great opportunity to meet families. We worked in four team categories: Mothers, Fathers, Children and Young Adults. We were presented with the challenge of constructing as a team the highest structure using marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti straws!
The dads built a rock-solid structure based on a proven engineering concept of connecting multiple triangles. The mum’s had a flexible structure with an antennae like extension which could be held up to obtain maximum height.
The young adults developed a promising design using triangular supports as the base foundation. The children contributed to their team with much enthusiasm and came up with an impressive design.
But the stability of the dad’s structure won hands down. We learnt about friendship and listening and working together and the strength of three-sided triangles, a visual image of the strength and wisdom of the Trinity – a secure base for each person if we are grounded in God’s love.
On Saturday we were immersed in the theme: Covenant.
Fr Pawel treated us to a rich presentation and clear explanation of the history of covenant between God and his people. God has always been faithful, but as his people we have not. Moving through the Old Testament to the New, Fr Pawel highlighted God’s plan for Salvation through Covenant: from Adam and Eve, and through Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Ezekial, and Hosea and looking at God’s Law from the perspective of God – His Love for Us!
Bringing us then to the new Covenant in the person of Jesus Christ – Our Saviour and Redeemer. John 15:10-17 highlights God’s plan for us to be deeply rooted in Christ and live his human example of: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. To imitate him and respond to God’s invitation, you did not choose me, I chose you to be fruitful, to bear fruit that will last!
Fr Pawel then drew our attention to the importance of Baptism as a Covenant and incorporation into the Body of Christ, the holy church. For by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body. We were recommended to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) or listen to the amazing podcasts of Fr. Mike Schmitz – CCC in a year.
Marriage is a solemn Covenant and Fr Pawel explained that this grace proper to the Sacrament of Matrimony is intended to perfect the couple’s love and to strengthen their indissoluble unity; Grace to help one another to obtain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children. CCC 1601, 1617, 1641. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P50.HTM
Sr Elizabeth enlightened our understanding of the Covenant of Love with Mary who is our model. Mary who lived the covenant with God most perfectly is our surest and quickest way to Christ.
Using the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9SA8QqC6oU together we explored the striving to live covenant as a renewal and deepening of our Baptismal promise, a means to become more like Mary who will help us to be more Christ like. The Blessed Mother is the permanent helpmate and associate of Christ in the entire work of redemption: LOVE.
Experiences in Living the covenant of love were shared by Fiona and Paul Webb, Carol and Ted Maslak and Sr Rebecca.
It was valuable to hear three different perspectives and lived experiences of the Covenant of Love in our vocations – two in family life and one in religious life. Holiness lies in joyful surrender in the ordinary things and circumstances of our life and our efforts to form and grow. The grace of Apostolic Zeal as it is experienced in the covenant of love was witnessed to in three different experiences of the speakers.
The Maslak Family experience and desire to enter the Covenant of Love in December 2009 was founded through the experience and example of people who gave heroic witness to faith and love of the Blessed Mother. Sharing that Sr M. Henriette (Sister of Mary), Nancy Green (Schoenstatt Women’s League) and their mothers Joan Sattler and Katarina Maslak who were a personal message, an icon of living the Covenant of Love and being accepting of transformation through suffering and grace. Through them others experienced in a tangible way:
That with LOVE the value of the human person is special
With CHRIST and LOVE the human person is a treasure of supreme value
With GRACE we become a CHILD of GOD and transformed into BEATITUDE
To find our HOME in the HEART of CHRIST
The Webb Family through their experience of making the Covenant in 1998 and then strengthening their commitment in the Blank Cheque offering to Our Lady in 2004 they were “inspired to learn, live and share God’s plan for marriage, family and life.” Listening to them, we were impressed at their intentional living of the covenant within the family and being an example to their children.
“Daily consecration (many times on some days), daily scripture and/or spiritual reading, unique for each day, person or family… each day is a step on a staircase… making the covenant engages Our Mother in making sure the staircase is a “Stairway to Heaven” … daily renewal ensures we are taking steps daily … in the right direction. They shared how this had influenced the formation of their children into young adults now choosing their path in life listening to the call of God. Paul and Fiona emphasised the importance of working with and contributing to your parish.
Sr Rebecca’s talk witnessed to the experience of grace through the hands of Our Blessed Mother from the prayers and contributions of others to the Capital of Grace. Her experience of personal impossible health challenges allowed an experience of the care of the Blessed Mother, the charity of others, being placed in situations where health care workers could come to her for advice and consolation, and the healing hand of God Our Father to whom nothing is impossible.
Saturday Night was Family Fun Full on! A lively bush dance called and instructed by Jane Toutounji. Then a bonfire and toasting marshmallows before night prayer together in the house chapel room. A big thank you goes to Jane and Bernard for organising all the activities. Especially the children’s program. The children’s activities paralleled the covenant themes parents were learning, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and his Blessed mother. The family team recreation events were a blast of energy. Thank you to the volunteer children’s supervisors who made this possible. They were dedicated, established genuine rapport with each child and knew how to consistently set safe limits for the children. This made the weekend beneficial for the parents.
A big word of appreciation is extended to the cooks and staff. The food was generous and well prepared. Many thanks for the beautiful Sunday Lunch and afternoon tea.
In response to the session on Practical ways to live the reality of the covenant of Love, the Fernades Family submitted this picture of their special May Blossoms home shrine contributions to Our Lady. The pebbles and sticks represent their contributions to the Capital of Grace… Nothing Without You Nothing Without Us!
Finally, our thanks go to our Mother Thrice Admirable who continues to bless and guide our families. We were able to bring our thanksgiving and our contributions to the Capital of Grace to her in the Shrine at the end of our weekend which had proved to be a great blessing for each family.
Carol & Ted Maslak
Le & John Mallet
If you are interested in learning more about the Schoenstatt Family Branch and Family Groups contact families@schoenstatt.org.au
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