[Kd1871-covenant-solidarity] We have a Father, courageous and without complexes – for a culture of encounter, or dialogue and covenant
maria fischer
mkf at schoenstatt.org
Tue Aug 27 17:40:56 CEST 2013
/Dear friends and correspondents of schoenstatt.org,/
with much joy we forward to you all the beautiful letter written by Fr
José María for the team of collaborators (proudly calling itself
dreamteam), and that is not just for us only.,
It is also published on the website.
http://www.schoenstatt.org/en/news/1631/53/We-have-a-Father-courageous-and-without-complexes-for-a-culture-of-encounter-or-dialogue-and-covenant.htm
On the other hand, we can joyfully share that our project
of<http://www.schoenstatt.org/en/news/1605/250/A-hundred-homes-for-the-hundred-years-of-our-home-in-Schoenstatt-our-shrine-is-also-there.htm>covenant
solidarity - offering 100 houses of solidarity for the poorest of the
poor in the streets of Asunción -, one from each shrine, as jubilee gift
for 2014,
<A+hundred+homes+for+the+hundred+years+of+%22our+home%22+in+Schoenstatt+%E2%80%93+%22our+shrine+is+also+there%21%22>
is advancing and creating tremendous joy among the poor families and
maybe ever more joy among those sponsoring these houses-shrines of
solidarity, in gratitude for the gift our 100 years of our house in
Schoenstatt. (see
http://www.schoenstatt.org/en/news/1605/250/A-hundred-homes-for-the-hundred-years-of-our-home-in-Schoenstatt-our-shrine-is-also-there.htm)
Next to the 30 houses of the initial initiative that are built or being
built these days, the following shrines are present in this free
initiative jubilee gift:
*from Schoenstatt (place)
*Tabor *(men)
from Germany:*
Ulm, Wuerzburg, Oberkirch, Dietershausen, Aulendorf, München
*from Switzerland*:
Lucerna, Horw*
from Spain
*Madrid
Pozuelo*
from Brazil*
Recife, Florianopolis
*from England*
Manchester
Further, there are 8 "houses" without destination of a specific shrine.
Each house of this "settlement of covenant solidarity" will receive a
little plaque indicating: "House of Solidarity 2014 - /name of the
shirne/".
A real gift from real commitment, in covenant solidarity, soul of a
covenant culture.
Greetings in the name of the entire dreamteam,
in covenant solidarity
maria
We have a Father, courageous and without complexes – for a culture
of encounter, or dialogue and covenant
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
//
//
/Fr. José María García/ -/Shrine of Madrid, August 2013./
/*Dear Dream Team* friends,*/
In preparation for a jubilee meeting of one of the university youth
groups from Santiago de Chile, one of those young people recently wrote
to me about our Holy Father Francis /as someone valiant in his
fatherhood, someone who is a “father without complexes” and who leads
the Church without complexes or strange commitments./
//
*
Although the formulation may not be very politically correct – by those
who might feel referred to negatively – I believe it is an excellent,
simple and strong description of the fatherhood which Providence is
giving to us in our Holy Father Francis in order to lead the Church
toward “the new shore,” as our Father and Founder would say.
*His recommendation: Go out onto the street!*
Every part of the Church, and many others outside of her – believers or
non-believers – have received his clear and hope-filled words. They are
also words that motivate us to assume the responsibility we all have to
build a world in accordance to the Will of God, in the strength of the
Spirit and through the way of Christ.
Cardinals and bishops, priests, men and women religious, novices and
seminarians, families, the youth and elderly, communities and institutes
have received this challenge to go out “onto the street” to take – not a
utopian hope – but concrete deeds in living evangelization projects to
all men and women wherever they may be. And if they are on the
“outskirts” then we have to go there, with all the risks and dangers it
may include.//He repeats to us constantly/: I prefer an injured church,
because she goes out to serve, to a Church that is sick because of her
self-absorption/. Testimony to this can be found in the section of
Schoenstatt.org where on a weekly basis texts are selected which
motivate us on our own pilgrimage toward the 2014 Jubilee.
<http://www.schoenstatt.org/en/schoenstatt-news/francis-for-the-pilgrims-2014.htm>
Undoubtedly, because we are the Church, these words are also directed to
us. How happy must our Father not be with this missionary impetus which
is given to us from the very heart of the Church!
/“Let us walk like you through life, let us mirror you forever, strong
and noble, meek and mild, peace and love be our endeavor. Walk in us
through our world, make it ready for the Lord/” (HEAVENWARDS, American
Edition, p. 171)/– /a prayer from our Founder which embodies our Holy
Father's vision.
*Beyond the jubilee *
Reading the signs of life, the leaders and those responsible for our
International Schoenstatt Family established in Conference 2014 and in
their final declaration – the “Message 2014”
<http://www.schoenstatt.org/en/uploads/documents%202014/9t0291en-messag-konferenz2014.pdf>
– what they thought should be our preparation and attitude for the
Jubilee. Today, the Church and the Holy Spirit are ratifying it step by
step! We almost dare to say that our preparation began there not only
for the internal Jubilee, but also to enable us to contribute as
Father’s Family to this Church which has no fear, which has no complexes
about calling things by their name and starting the changes in those
attitudes and institutions which with time have remained decrepit, and
are a burden in their task of evangelization, as our Holy Father tells
us repeatedly.
*A Church that seeks encounter and wants to serve*
However, what is important for us – after what was so deeply experienced
in WYD in Rio in so very many encounters with our Holy Father Francis –
is to see that our Jubilee can take our Father’s “/dilexit ecclesiam/”,
He loved the Church, to the “/cor ecclesiae/”, the heart of the Church.
Each of us in his or her own place, and according to each one's means
and possibilities, by living their covenant of love in solidarity with
everyone, especially with those most in need and those who are
estranged. We do not do it while seeking recognition or confirmation,
but in order to fulfill our mission to serve. The Church goes out to
serve and needs the serving attitude and action of our Mother and
Educator. She has already done it as “Pilgrim Mother”…..what great
evangelization! So much hope has been sowed in both people and institutions!
My gratitude goes out to those who were and are a launching point for
the Blessed Virgin in her service, to the “missionaries/coordinators of
the Pilgrim Mother. God uses those who are the little ones to show us
the way – as our own Father and Founder reminded us – when he asked Fr.
Esteban Uriburu and his course of priests to look at and reflect on the
“evangelization project of the future” undertaken by Don Joao Pozzobon.
If truth be said, it was something that was considered at that time as
having little to do with Schoenstatt.
*The Church is renewing herself with Pope Francis*
This is a missionary evangelization task we can undertake – exactly as
was done by the Schoenstatt Family, because it had a Father who was
concerned for the truth in his gestures and words, in his service to the
life of each individual both within and outside the Family, and in his
real and tangible closeness. We are aware that his mission to be a
Father, and to form fathers so that Schoenstatt could be a Family at the
service of life, both within itself and outside of itself, was to a
great extent what led him into exile in Milwaukee.
It is this renewed Church which impetuously gives Herself to this
missionary service, and faces it bravely and realistically, because She
has a Father who motivates Her to go out from Her strongholds…..to
discard Her complexes…..to look at the truth of life and history, no
matter how hard it may be, and to face life head on, even knowing it
includes pain and sacrifice, troubles and disappointments…..that the
cross forms a part of her existence, but is enlivened by faith in the
Resurrection. How beautiful was Pope Francis’ homily at Aparecida! And
the believers accepted it valiantly, knowing that we have a Father with
us, that the Church has a Father, just as the young couple said at the
/favela/ in Rio and “overlooking protocol” calling him, Father Francis.
*The real path of the Beatitudes and the Magnificat*
In Europe we are in “crisis”, not only financially, economically or
culturally, but vitally. We are in need of hope and are tempted to
enclose ourselves within ourselves like the apostles in the Cenacle. We
see it in defensive nationalism and lack of confidence; we are
suspicious of one another, of what is strange, of the foreigner, of the
person who thinks differently, of the person who is not one of us –
simply because we re afraid. What Father Francis proposes to us in the
purest style of the Gospel is the royal highway of the Beatitudes and
the Magnificat…..to go out and give…..to offer our lives, not only our
ideas, as disciples of the Master and children of Mary in the power of
Pentecost.
A well-known Spanish academic, Javier Reverte, recently wrote as a
self-defined “Catholic agnostic” that /“in times of social
depression/dejection, of discredited politicians, of unleashed
corruption, of voracious greed by the great financial powers, and moral
collapse, a brave Pope without desires of earthly powers can awaken hope
in lay society and including agostic persons. Because we humans need
heroes and ethical proposals” (ABC, 08,22,2013)./
Let us assume the risk of being children of a complex-free Father, who
is brave, simple and humble, who serves and makes credible and tangible
– not only himself – but Christ in his Church.
*Where there is a Father there is hope, a family and strength*
I unite myself to the prayers of our International Family, asking for
the canonization of our Father and Founder, making our own the words of
Jesus: “Whoever sees me, sees the Father!” We know that as Family we are
the guarantee of his sanctity and of his mission, in truth, justice and
love. This is how many years ago a generation of university youths in
Chile began, and this is how a current of life has broken through,
renewed and hopeful, within the Church. It is the current of the Father
which allows us to be as children, “missionary disciples.” Where there
is a father, there is a family and hope. There is also the strength not
to fall into fear or self-absorption, which are real dangers for the
Church. We have been forewarned by our Holy Father Francis.
*Serve courageously and without complexes*
We have just celebrated the “Queenship of Mary”. She is the Queen of
each one of us because we allow ourselves to be formally questioned by
the Father, our Father Francis and our Father. They call us to serve
valiantly and without complexes.
From the Shrine in Madrid and grateful for your surrender and service
to the Family and the Church, I send you my blessing and love. I am glad
to be able to share with you these reflections, the fruit of all the
hope the Father awakens in me. Thank you to everyone.
Yours,
Fr. José María
August 2013
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