18 March 2021 · 2021-03 newsletter
With so many things lost to us in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions, the opportunity for a community gathering for our annual Women’s Lenten Retreat, even with limited numbers was a real blessing.
Friday evening Sr. Elizabeth gave an introduction on the retreat theme, “Domestic Church Be What You Are”, followed by night prayer and animated catch ups over supper.
Saturday dawned with a wonderful surprise of nature, a misty foggy morning reminding me of the early mornings during our time in Germany 2014 for the 100 years celebrations with our global family.
Our First Session, “Domestic Church and the Home Shrine”, presented by Sr. Isabell explored three topics:
1. The family – Church in miniature
Perhaps the most endangered institution in today’s society and most necessary as the pandemic has shown. In 1952 Fr. Kentenich said “the effectiveness of Christianity will tomorrow and the day after depend more strongly than otherwise on individual personalities and families”. As I live on my own I hadn’t realized the notion of being family by myself and my home as a domestic church.
2. The centre place (home shrine) of the Domestic Church
“To know who you are, you must have a place to come from” (C.McCullers, a Nobel prize winner). We need a sense of belonging.
3. From the Home Shrine – participation in the Church’s mission
To reach out to those who are less fortunate than ourselves with ‘Marian qualities’ of contemplation, gratitude, vulnerability and generosity.
The messages imbued formation, encouragement, inspiration and challenges. The necessity for our relationship with God, vertical position, being in balance with the horizontal position, our relationship with others, really struck me.
- My personal ideal is a complete image that God has of me, and my purpose in my life, that is to be truly who I am and use what gifts I have been given and can share with others.
- Education is to draw out what is already in a person.
- Heart speaks to Heart (Cardinal Newman) so God wants to speak to us Heart to Heart.
Conviviality: the living together, not the living one with another, living beside each other, but the living together.
Session two, “Lent in the Domestic Church”.
Sr. Elizabeth commented on the concept of Lent in the past for those who could remember, that as a child we focused on giving up such things as sweets. But in Lent we are called to prayer, self-denial and almsgiving. Through prayer we can ask for the strength and courage in self-denial and offer this as a sacrifice for others. Almsgiving, simply put, leads us to helping others in need.
Sister then looked at the six verses of Home Song, which is one of the prayers in Heavenwards written by Fr. Kentenich in Dachau. Sr. Elizabeth suggested that the six verses can give us inspiration for our striving during Lent. Having read and re-read the commentaries on these I can see them as blueprints for my personal growth.
- Verse one advocating LOVE which should offer shelter to each other.
- Verse 2 PURITY. Connects purity with God, with goodness which reaches out to “ease hurt and pain” in others, and lastly with the importance of prayer.
- Verse 3 is FREEDOM. Is what I am choosing pleasing to me or God and the importance of decision making in accordance with the law of love.
- Verse 4 is JOY in the overflowing richness of God’s gifts, even when cross and sufferings pierce our hearts.
- Verse 5 TRUTHFULNESS a genuine striving to be honest with oneself and others in all situations, but also a longing for Jesus himself who called himself “the way, the TRUTH and the life”.
- Verse 6 VICTORY encourages us to trust in the Covenant of Love because with Our Lady as our covenant partner we can be sure of victory.
Session Three: Living with the Home Shrine, Shirley Hall, Daphne Loughlin, Angela Benson
A short video with Marge and Michael Fenelon, an American couple, who had known Fr. Kentenich personally as children, detailed the significant impact that the Home Shrine has had on their lives as children, parents and now grandparents.
I recalled reading recently Fr Kentenich told couples “Let your home be your kingdom, where the father rules as a kind – but not ruthless – king, and the mother rules as the queen, the heart of the home. Learn that love rules”. In 1966 Fr Kentenich said The Home Shrine is a symbol of “forming your own family into a shrine”.
In this session, Shirley Hall shared the importance of her Home Shrine for her daily life. She showed us a picture of her Home Shrine and described some of the additional items and what they meant to her: a pottery plate with the symbol and the ideal of her women’s group, a miniature model hat like Fr Kentenich’s where she “collects” her contributions to the Capital of Grace, and Holy Spirit image among others.
Angela Benson showed us several Willow Tree figurines and explained their significance in her Home Shrine. Through Baptism we make a Covenant with God and in Schoenstatt our Covenant of Love with Mary helps us to live our baptismal covenant in our daily lives. We were also able to listen to a prepared presentation from Daphne Loughlin who shared the importance of the Home Shrine for her family, especially in the liturgical seasons of the Church’s year and on significant family occasions.
As individuals we are unique and so too are our Home Shrines. This retreat for me has instilled a real longing and motivation to prepare to have my home and Home Shrine dedicated this year and I have even now chosen a name.
Final Session: A Schoenstatt / Lenten Challenge presented by Michelle Davis
Our final session for the retreat began with Michelle sharing several scripture passages highlighting some of the qualities of St Joseph – see her article in this Newsletter reflecting on the Year of St. Joseph.
Michelle then unfolded a brief history of the domestic church and challenged us to live out the demands of our Covenant of Love striving daily to bring greater contributions to the capital of grace. She gave us something to think about with the following questions:
“We call ourselves a Schoenstatt Family as we have a common Mother, father and home. But how do we love one another?
Do I invite family, friends or parishioners to the Shrine or my home shrine and share our love and enthusiasm for Mary and the Schoenstatt Mission? If I live out my Covenant fully, I also live by the expectations listed in the founding document:
- Prove first that you take the Covenant of Love seriously’
- Strive for self-sanctification
- Place demands on yourself
- Faithful fulfillment of your duties
- Cultivate a life of prayer
- Diligently bring me contributions to the treasury of grace.
What I ask myself is how do I live out APOSTOLIC ACTIVITY in my daily and work life?”
I am so grateful for this retreat and the new incentives it has given me to take seriously MY Domestic Church as the place where I may live and nurture my faith and from where I may reach out to others, helping to bring Christ’s love into this world.
Jenny Hogan
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