18 March 2024 · 2024-03 newsletter
For our Schoenstatt Family in Melbourne there was great joy to be able to experience the first Covenant of love entered into before the image of our MTA in her “new abode” in the Divine Mercy Chapel at St. Luke’s, Wantirna.
Holy Mass
After some time of preparation, the Simon Family entered into their Covenant of Love during Mass on Saturday 24 February. Fr. Pawel and Sr. M Elizabeth had come from Sydney for the occasion and about 40 Schoenstatters, together with friends of the family and some parishioners, joined for this special occasion.
In Fr. Pawel’s homily he pointed out that we are in the season of Lent and that we are called at this time to true conversion, which means that our hearts should be one hundred percent dedicated to God; we surrender all our hearts and all our souls to Him. Sometimes we find this hard and so this is why we make a Covenant of Love with the Blessed Mother – she is the one who is always faithful to her side of the Covenant, and she will help and guide us to true conversion so that we truly become God’s people.
Entering into the Covenant of Love
Following the homily we processed to the Divine Mercy Chapel at the back of the Church to celebrate the Covenant Rite.
There was a beautiful atmosphere as Simon and Bindu, together with their children, prayed their consecration prayer and received from Fr. Pawel their medals, the symbol of their Covenant with our MTA.
The Simon children were also fully engaged, joining their parents in the Rite of Consecration and being readers during the Holy Mass.
The readings of the day, God’s word to us on this special day, were providentially fittingly directed to the covenant God made with the people Israel, reminding us that God will always be faithful to his Covenant with us but that we must do our part in surrendering everything to Him.
At the end of Mass we once again gathered in the Chapel to thank our Blessed Mother for the gift of her Covenant of Love with us and in particular we welcomed the Simon Family into our Schoenstatt Family in Melbourne. Fellowship and an afternoon of formation followed.
Our relationship with God the Father
Fr. Pawel shared with us Jesus’ image of God the Father and the importance of our relationship with the Father, who is loving and merciful. Sr. M Elizabeth then shared with us aspects of Fr. Kentenich’s life, presenting him as a transparency of God’s fatherly and merciful love.
For those who were new to Schoenstatt, this was an opportunity to learn a little about Schoenstatt’s founder and why we are grateful to God for having given us such a father who helps us to understand a little, the love of our heavenly Father.
Fr. Kentenich always pointed to the Blessed Mother as the one who leads us safely home to our heavenly Father.
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