Dear Schoenstatt Family, Happy Covenant of Love Day!
One spring day in 1916, a student was left alone at school. All his classmates had gone on vacation to be with their families. He, however, came from far away and did not have the means to travel.
Looking at this scene, we can imagine that the young man was sad and discouraged. However, instead of feeling sad, he saw in that loneliness a new opportunity to express his love for Mary. He looked at the flowers in the garden and thought, “I can conquer a spiritual garden for the Blessed Mother!” His idea was a small contribution; it seemed simple and unimportant. However, perhaps that is precisely why it became an inspiration to thousands of people around the world.
We are talking about Joseph Engling and his “May Flowers.” He wrote down everything he experienced that spring in his diary, and it became a “small contribution” that continues to resonate year after year in the life of the Schoenstatt Movement.
My contribution counts
Over the last few days, the International Schoenstatt Family has prayed the novena under the motto “I believe, that my contributions counts.” Today, October 18, the Feast of the Covenant of Love, we reach the culmination of this reflection.
On this journey, we have seen that every contribution, no matter how small, is an achievement for the MTA. And that each person, with their own way of being, their temperament, their faults, and their qualities, is valuable to our mission.
However, we may ask ourselves: “Am I really important? Really?” Continuing with the heroes, let’s see what Gertraud von Bullion writes:
“Why did the Mother, at Jesus’ request, lead me to the Federation, precisely me, who, in honest reflection, am nothing and can contribute nothing to the religious and moral renewal of the world? And then the Mother replies: “My child, precisely because you are nothing and can do nothing, because you, by yourself, are not even a useful collaborator, that is why God wants you for his work. Not because you have to be capable of anything, but because God wants to act and create. And the more incompetent the apprentice and the artist who are supposed to help the master are, the more they hinder, disturb, and wreak havoc with their lack of aptitude, the more the wisdom and greatness of the creative master is manifested, who knows how to make everything contribute to the success of his work”
(Gertraud von Bullion, Serviam, 1925)
God accomplishes his great works through the little ones
“God is the one who accomplishes the greatest things through the smallest,” said our Father and Founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich. That is what we see in the history of Schoenstatt and in our own lives.
A special example is the life of Venerable Deacon João Luiz Pozzobon. A man of little education, of humble origins, who worked in the fields… Thanks to his daily contributions, he was able to start a work that became an important missionary arm of the Church.
João once said: “[Other young people] were smarter than me! They went to parties and dances. The Mother and Queen said to herself: ‘This is the dumbest one, I’m going to take him for myself. I’m going to send him, and he will do everything I tell him to do.'” He also said: “I gave myself as a small instrument, like a child, so that She could take me wherever She wanted” (Hero Today, Not Tomorrow).
Heroes are not static examples, trapped in history. They are models to encourage new generations to give their all.
With the certainty that we are important, we renew our Covenant…
When we look at ourselves, we become aware of our weaknesses and all that we lack in order to grow in holiness and love. We also realize that there are people who are “better,” more capable, and suited to our roles. But we are where God wants us, where he has planted us to create our “spiritual garden,” as Joseph Engling did. To do this, we must also look at our qualities and gifts and, in a special way, open ourselves to the Holy Spirit to create something new, or even do everything we always do, but with more love!
Today we renew our Covenant of Love, aware that we are nothing, but certain that in that NOTHINGNESS, we are EVERYTHING in the hands of God and our Mother. We are today’s heroes, the heroes of this generation.
“If we want to preserve the fullness of spirit and life that has developed throughout history, we must always make fidelity to the Covenant of Love with the Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen of Schoenstatt our greatest concern and our favorite goal”
(Fr. José Kentenich)