[covenant-greetings] Covenant Greetings

[M. Kornelia Fischer]

Happy Covenant Day!  I just returned from the Original Shrine, where  
along with about 700 pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Freiburg (in 
southern Germany) and many more people - among them families from all of 
Germany, members of the General Chapter of the Sisters of Mary, youth 
from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico, deacons and seminarians 
from Congo, Burundi, India and Nigeria -we renewed the Covenant of Love, 
in the light of hundreds of candles, in the darkness of an autumn night 
full of stars
...Within a month, at the same time, we will again surround the Original 
Shrine with candles in hand:  on October 17th, on the eve of October 
18th, when those who have the privilege of being here will initiate the 
triennium of the preparation for 2014 along with our Father...and as a 
Family, we will begin  the large pilgrimage towards the Original Shrine 
and Rome.
On this night we consciously remember everyone who is renewing their 
Covenant of love on this 18th  at some Shrine, wayside shrine, 
Homeshrine or heart shrine.

It was the highlight of a day filled with life, joy and commitment 
around the Original Shrine.  It began early in the morning with the Mass 
in preparation for 2014, celebrated in covenant with Schoenstatt in Cote 
d'Ivoire, in África. Families from all of Germany gathered hours later 
in the Shrine of Families to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the House 
of Families.  Some youth became actors in a video which will be offered 
before October 18th to everyone for the opening of the triennium.  At 
noon the pilgrims from Freiburg arrived...Only the Blessed Mother knows 
about all the activities around her Shrines and wayside shrines, and all 
the madness of missionary love on this day...30 youth from Germany on 
their second mission in this country (happy to be bearers of the return 
stream...) youth from Uruguay on their Mary's Crusade, so many 
missionaries, who are still celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the 
Rosary Campaign...

We are still in the special week in which we recall the anniversary of 
Father Kentenich's death, in this centenary year of his priestly 
ordination and on the eve of the beginning of the year of the Father 
current, as the first year of the triennium to 2014.  I want to share 
part of the Covenant Letter from Father Javier Arteaga, Director of the 
Schoenstatt Movement in Argentina with everyone, in which he perfectly 
summarizes the grace and the challenge of the time we are living:


/For this "gift of God" who is Father Kentenich, we give thanks to the 
Lord.  That is fine, *but it is not enough. *I believe that only giving 
thanks to God for having gifted us with such a great priest, father and 
founder is not enough, it is not worthy of a spiritual child of Father 
Kentenich.  He would tell us:  thank you, but *what part of my task are 
you going to assume today, in your time?  What aspect of my mission are 
you going to embody in your atmosphere?  "You, in your own way, can help 
me carry out the responsibility and share the mission of the Family" 
*// (Father. J. K., 31 of May 1949). ///

/Beloved brothers and sisters, next *October 18th, we will begin the 
triennium on the way to 2014* and we will do it together as a Family 
with the Founding Father.  Just as the *Founding Father* was at the 
beginning of the Schoenstatt history in the same way this year we want 
to take his hand to *travel with him and like him through these 3 years 
until* we reach the jubilee of 2014. *With him and like him, with his 
same spirit and attitudes*, like new prophets of Mary bulding our time 
for God, renewing (our world) with a family spirit, we want to reach 
2014 and in this way celebrate *one hundred years of a living Covenant.  
"Yes, Father, we go with you!"*///

On October 17, in Schoenstatt, we will go on pilgrimage from the 
Adoration Church towards the Original Shrine, where we will respond to 
the Blessed Mother and Father Kentenich (that is how a young man 
expressed it, obviously thinking about the Crusade of the Andes):  
"Schoenstatt 2014 - Onward!"  Or rather:  Nothing without me, nothing 
without us!  On the pilgrimage we want to take everyone who is 
spiritually on pilgrimage with us towards the Original Shrine on that 
night and who in this way want to give the first step of their 
"pilgrimage 2014".  We want to name the Shrines of the world not only to 
pray:  From all the wayside shrines of the world - we go on pilgrimage 
to you...

Here, at the moment of speaking about this subject, the idea, which may 
be a bit crazy, emerged among some youth and couples that everyone 
should be invited to send -a photo or the name -of the Shrine, wayside 
shrine the Homeshrine, the work shrine, the heartshrine if they want to 
be present to say to the Blessed Mother, Father, the Original Shrine, 
and to the entire international family:  Nothing without me, nothing 
without us...

/This pilgrimage will be transmitted live via Schoenstatt-TV/

/ (7.30 -- 10.00 German time). /

How wonderful to imagine that on October 18th, from so many shrines, 
wayside shrines, places of work...we will begin the spiritual pilgrimage 
that will take us to October 18, 2014, to receive the "grace 2014" in 
the renewal of the Covenant of Love in its creative missionary strength 
attached and internationally interconnected...As fruit of this renewal 
of the Covenant of Love we hope for the renewal of the entire 
Schoenstatt Family and a worldwide Covenant culture.

And to think that all of this begins with the first step that we will 
take on October 17th/18th...each one from his/her Shrine, in his/her own 
way, in his/her Covenant.

United in the Covenant of Love, I greet you from the Original 
Shrine with gratitude for all your commitment to schoenstatt.de

Sister Kornelia



Videos de hoy en la mediateca o aun el livestream de 
www.schoenstatt-tv.de <http://www.schoenstatt-tv.de/>
Informaciones sobre 2014 hay también en: 
http://cmsms.schoenstatt.de/en/k2014.htm 
<http://cmsms.schoenstatt.de/es/centenario.htm>

-- 
www.schoenstatt.de
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