Perhaps now more than ever before we become aware of the significance of the home  shrine and the domestic church. Spiritually united as Schoenstatt Family we invite you to (re)crown your MTA picture in your home shrine on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation. In preparation for this simple act, please join in praying Hold the Scepter in Your Hand!

In addition, each family and individual can (re)crown the Blessed Mother in their home shrine. We offer her a crown (corona) in petition for the victims and all disruption caused by the corona virus.

A Crown for a Crown! Corona for corona!

She can bring about a brand-new world from a deeply injured humanity. We petition the MTA to glorify herself through home shrines and heart shrines. Our part is to give witness to her power in the world during this time of crisis, through our faith and obedience. May Mary also help us find our way back to God as, together, we face an overwhelming challenge. As Health of the Sick, Comfort of the Afflicted, and Refuge of Sinners, may our Mother and Queen take into her care and protection the many who are affected.

Hold the scepter in your hand; Mother, protect your Schoenstatt Land.
There you alone are Queen; cause every foe to flee.

Create a paradise for yourself there and hold the dragon at bay.
Woman of the Sun, step forth with light and ascend to the heights of the noonday sky.

Build from here a world which is pleasing to the Father,
as our Savior once implored so longingly in prayer.

May love ever reign there together with truth and justice and a unity
which does not become massmindedness nor lead to inner slavery.

Reveal your power in the dark and stormy night.
Let the world see your active hand and stand in admiration before you.

So that it speak your name with love, profess loyalty to your kingdom,
fearlessly carry your banner far and wide and victoriously defeat every foe.

Let Schoenstatt remain your favorite place, a stronghold of apostolic spirit,
a leader on the way to holy battle, a source of everyday sanctity.

A firebrand glowing for Christ, scattering sparks of searing brightness
until the world, a sea of flames, burns to the glory of the Trinity. Amen.

The History of this Prayer

Seventy-five years ago, in March of 1945, the American troops had begun to win over German territory during WWII. The danger of crossfire between the US and German forces was in sight. In Dachau, Father Kentenich heard that the US troops were heading toward Schoenstatt. He had also heard rumors that Schoenstatt had been depopulated and that the sisters had fled. In the midst of this threat and as a petition for protection for Schoenstatt, Father Kentenich composed the Hold the Scepter in Your Hand prayer as a novena in preparation for the feast of the Annunciation .

This prayer was meant to be a petition to the MTA that the Original Shrine would not be destroyed and that the communities established in Schoenstatt would remain unharmed. This prayer can also be seen as a statement of thanksgiving in advance. Father Kentenich’s conviction was that if the American troops moved into Schoenstatt, the ‘Schoenstatt land’ would be safe.

Today, we can pray this prayer in order to ask the Blessed Mother to protect her Schoenstatt land all over the world from the corona virus. What the Original Shrine was at that time is the network of shrines in our time. All daughter shrines, home shrines, and heart shrines should be protected by our MTA from her throne of grace.

In this powerful prayer, Father Kentenich uses moving language and images. By placing Mary over the whole land in her intercessory power with a scepter in her hand, she is meant to protect and guard the life that has developed in and from the shrine. Now and then, Mary can conquer all of God’s enemies.

When we pray it, we can think of the ungodly powers that threaten to weaken our faith. A brand new world that pleases our Heavenly Father should come forth from the network of shrines (daughter shrines, home shrines, and heart shrines). The woman who crushes the head of the serpent ought to come forth once again so that God—that Christ may continue to reign.

Schoenstatt’s task is to open the way for Mary. We give her a place of honor in our homes and hearts—her favorite place. She in turn leads us to a life of sanctity in the midst of the working day. In order to have full influence over the hearts of those who consecrate themselves to her and join this network of shrines, Mary gives us special graces. She makes the covenant with us and makes us her children. She conquers us with her motherly love. Mary brings the Holy Spirit who transforms us and shapes us into reflections of Christ. Finally, Mary also intercedes for us the spirit of the apostles. Without that, the new world that is meant to come about through the network of shrines, in our times, cannot become fire of Christ’s fire, a sea of flames that burns for the Trinity.

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For the last several years my husband and I, along with our children have utilized a Jesse Tree during Advent.  Each day of Advent we read a Bible story about Salvation History and hang an ornament with a symbol of that story on our tree.  We begin with the story of creation and continue to the birth of Christ.  During lent we try to continue with what I’ve deemed a “Jesus Tree” and read the stories of the New Testament from Christ’s birth through the Resurrection. It is a wonderful way to recall God’s faithfulness and live our Faith tangibly; but, I had never before considered the thought that I am a part of Salvation History!  That is, until we attended the recent Couple’s Retreat at the Confidentia Shrine in Lamar, TX.

Sr. Danielle and Fr. Francisco led us through a beautiful weekend of reflection, taking us deeper into the motto, “Joyful Apostles, Living the Covenant.”  In the afternoon, Sister had us create scrolls and begin to write our own version of the Acts of the Apostles.  As individual couples we worked to create the physical scroll: fighting the rolling paper, dabbing on the rubber cement, navigating the best way to attach the paper to the wooden dowels as a team.  Then, we began the task of reflection and dialog to begin writing our role in Salvation History.  How has God worked in us and through us to bring about His glory?  How did he call us together?  What are the miracles that he has worked in our lives?  We titled our scroll “The Acts of the Apostles of Patrick and Jill” and presented the beginnings of our work at the closing Mass and received a blessing.  Patrick and I decided to continue working on our story, our scroll through Lent and beyond.  The act of putting it in writing helps us to recall God’s faithfulness and reminds us that our acts are recorded in heaven; therefore live with intentionality, with God’s will in mind, with the joy that comes from being a Child of God–knowing that we are a unique and critical part of Salvation History.

Jill Mach, Arlington TX

Picture: Jill Mach with her husband (5^th couple from the left) together with the other couples holding their scrolls.

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

ECCE AGNUS DEI

Behold, a man stands on the desert gravel, looking at the ugly fence that he just crossed. Now he is a criminal; not for any harmful action against person or property, but simply because he stands there, beyond the stream. Ecce homo. The nation declares that he may not stand there. Others may stand there, but not him. His crime is his location. Concerned citizens cry out against the injustice! A crime they say, is something evil done; it is not the place you stand. Nearby, a mother and child are stopped, also criminals by location. The baby must be taken because criminal adults are not kept with children. Both the mother and the child weep bitterly, and concerned citizens cry out again. Stabat mater dolorosa.

Many also cross the stream unnoticed, and quietly start a new life in the new land. Maria has done this. Her English is deficient, and she has no legal credentials, so she can only find low paid work cleaning houses. She feels relatively secure attending a Catholic Church with many members of similar heritage. She still fears apprehension by the authorities, however, so she avoids making the official record of parish membership. Maria’s employers like her diligent work ethic, and they are happy for her to continue in this status. Ave Maria.

In the city, a surgeon dismembers and decapitates a baby not yet born. This baby has no rights because she is still within her mother’s womb. Her young mother is fearful for her status with friends and family. All of her plans are now changed. She is skillfully counseled that she should not burden her own life. She is taught the strangely familiar refrain: It is my body. The odd proclamation seems incomplete, an unfinished thought. Hoc est enim Corpus meum…quod pro vobis tradetur. Once again, a person’s rights are determined by location. The baby had never seen the north or the south bank of any stream, it was only by crossing through the birth canal that she would have gained legal status. Millions cry out against their government because of this atrocity.

A boy named Jesse is a sixth grader at the parish school. His family has befriended Maria, but some of his classmates told him that she is a criminal. They are quite sure, because their parents told them so. Jesse can’t believe what they tell him, and he goes home to talk to his father. He often talks to his father, who helps him to sort out his complicated world. His father tells him that many people don’t treat Maria or others from across the river with the respect that they deserve. He tells Jesse that he must be prepared to risk his own well-being to stand up for the needs of others like her. Jesse ponders his young life, and he assures his father that he will always do what his father has told him. Pater Noster, fiat voluntas tua.

He smiles to himself, reassured as he walks out of the room. Then he stops, the old man seemed to whisper something else as he walked away. Pasce agnos meos…

Michael Arth, Southlake, TX

Notes: The Latin inserts are known, or easily discernible, by many people; but I translate them here because we are rapidly losing our Latin roots.

Ecce agnus Dei – Behold the lamb of God. (Jn 1:29)
Ecce homo – Behold the man (Jn 19:5). Words spoken by Pontius Pilate when Jesus was presented in purple robe and crown of thorns.
Stabat mater dolorosa – The mother stood in sadness. This musical refrain follows the Blessed Mother through the liturgical contemplation of her accompaniment of Jesus’ suffering.
Ave Maria – Greetings Mary (Hail Mary) (cf Lk 1 :28)
Hoc est Enim Corpus meum… quod pro vobis tradetur – This is my body, which is given for you (Lk 22:19)
Pater noster, fiat voluntary tua – Our Father, thy will be done. (Mt 6:9-10)
Pasce agnos meos – Feed my lambs (Jn 21:17)