Greetings from the Confidentia Shrine!
Recently, a young mother shared the apostolic spirit of her youngest son with us. He attends a municipal kindergarten, and when it was time for lunch, he insisted that his fellow kindergarteners and the teachers would sing a song to say grace with him. He taught them the song and made them aware that without grace there is no food. This young missionary truly put our year’s motto into practice: Joyful Apostles, Living the Covenant.
Our father and founder, Father Kentenich, defines the apostle as “a person who, in virtue of an inner connectedness with God, constantly strives with all means for the salvation of immortal souls, that is, for the divine life in the souls of others. He also has to see to it that they absorb the divine life and let it mature in themselves. And he may not just do this here and there, but he has to do it all the time.”
Like our kindergartener, each one of us has numerous opportunities each day to be a joyful apostle. Unconsciously, he was concerned about the immortal souls of his friends and taught them to value their daily food as a gift from God. When our covenant of love becomes the source for our joyful apostolate, then everything we are and do will be fruitful.
In his Lenten Message, Pope Francis reminds us that “Christian joy flows from listening to, and accepting, the Good News of the death and resurrection of Jesus.” It means, moreover, to bring it with compassion to all those who we encounter with the wounds each one of us bears (see: Message Of His Holiness Pope Francis For Lent 2020 “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20), # 4).
Wishing you a joyful apostolic Lent!
The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary