19 February 2021 · 2021-02 newsletter
“Mary and Martha Mothers’ Group” Retreat January 2021 — An exercise in how five Mothers can educate each other and learn from Fr. Kentenich’s teachings
Our group has been together since the 2018 Conference and the members pictured, along with Anne Walsh who was absent, have met monthly for meetings at the Shrine and over that time held three retreats for ourselves. Our main guide over this time has been Fr. Kentenich using the first two books of the “Brushstrokes of a Father” series letting him “speak to us” from the pages of the books.
Nowhere has that been more apparent over the past times together than at this retreat held over the 19th-21st January 2021 which of course is centred around the “Second Milestone” of Schoenstatt. The reason being, that all five of those present prepared talks for discussion centred on the last 200 pages of “Brushstrokes 2”.
Topics picked and focused on were:
- Leadership and Education
- Long standing sufferings – where the lack of a home is fulfilled by “Being at Home in the Shrine”
- “Silent, Hidden Heroism”
- “When all seems lost – I am at home.”
- “You shall make the working day Holy”.
Attendance at Mass on the property during Covid had risks for the older Sisters so we had to be resourceful and find local masses to attend. The picture above is taken at “Sacred Heart, Warragamba, now under the guidance of Fr. Giovanni along with his seminarian Michael who took the picture for us. This parish was formerly under the guidance of Fr. Evans, a Schoenstatt Father, hence the Unity Cross in the background of the picture. This was a special Mass because we had to go on “Pilgrimage” so to speak so that we could attend a Mass on the “20th January”. The following day we were fortunate to continue the pilgrimage theme by attending Mass at “St Mary’s Mulgoa” again celebrated by Fr. Giovanni.
Our themes for our five discussions gave us a sound knowledge of how Father Kentenich perceived leadership and education of people, forming the Movement under these principles. The theme of long-standing suffering made us very much aware of how in this suffering time of Covid that we can feel right at home, in our home, because of our awareness that Mary is with us in our homes radiating her graces from the Shrine into our homes, particularly where a “Home Shrine” is in place. Angst of having no control over things going on in our lives was exampled and the story told showed us how a strong faith in Mary and Fr. Kentenich can be rewarded for the better good. Another life story told, demonstrated how, when all seems lost, it can be – over time – a learning curve to point one more toward the saving hands of God and our Mother.
Finally, the topic of “Everyday Sanctity” was well presented by Jenny and the conclusion added after it, by the priest who was on retreat at the Shrine who offered us the chance for a second Mass on Thursday. It was a good concluding topic to remind us that while we are fortunate to be removed from the world into “Kairos Time” while we are on retreat, we, like the miner in the story (below), are called to go back out into the world more spiritually uplifted, apostolically minded and work from that.
“One miner had the job of lubricating the motors that pumped fresh air into the mines below. In one hand he inconspicuously held his rosary, in the other hand his oil can.
The men asked if this was right. This helped us conclude that prayer and work must go together. One must unite with God the thought God has for this situation. Prayer then leavens one’s work. The miner had an important and fine occupation; he had to deliver air to the miners below, the most precious and important thing there is, even more precious than water and bread”.
What should his prayer be?
“To thank God for the wonderful air, the most precious and yet least expensive thing in the world;
To rejoice that he was permitted to deliver the air to the miners;
To pray for his companions, so that the air would flow to them;
In this way we came to the sanctification of work and everyday sanctity”. (Brushstrokes 2: page 212).
It is certainly a privilege to be able to take time out from our everyday life, but it is even more of one to be educated by one’s companions in Mary, as in our Mothers’ group where our guiding principle is to learn to sit more at the feet of Christ and learn to adopt the principles of “Mary so that our Martha” oriented world in our parishes has a spiritually oriented balance to it.
What is our group prayer? That more mothers would be inspired to take time to gather in groups to learn and educate each other about Mary, Fr. Kentenich and Schoenstatt and become able to educate each other by their knowledge and love of Mary using Schoenstatt education material.
Angela, a member of the Mothers’ Branch for over 30 year
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