Seven Young Families Seal
the Covenant of Love with the MTA
During the weekend of May 14-15, five families (unfortunately a sixth family is ill, a seventh family came already at the end of April) stayed in Quarten near the Schoenstatt shrine: Immaculata. After a lengthy preparation the couples sealed the covenant of love with the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt (MTA) on Saturday afternoon. Due to the coronavirus, the day for this important occasion had been postponed several times! They had big plans! On Saturday morning each family was busy preparing their family candle.
After lunch, the families organized childcare for the children so the parents could take time to prepare themselves well for the covenant celebration. The parents were given an inspirational talk: “The Mother of God helps us to be loved by God (grace of home), to be formed by God (grace of transformation), to be used by God (grace of apostolic fruitfulness).” After this, the parents were given time for intensive communication as a couple.
Then came the moment. In the shrine, the children brought the Mother of God a rose. We sang and prayed with enthusiasm. In addition to the official league dedication prayer each couple prayed a personal prayer. At dinner and afterwards, people celebrated joyfully and enthusiastically.
On Sunday the couples discussed the personal ideal and the ideal of marriage. Quite an exciting thing…!
From the family league dedication prayer:
“Strengthen us in our efforts to live the Sacrament of Matrimony and help us to recognize our personal task in the shaping of a Christian world and to participate meaningfully in it. We give you our prayers and sacrifices, our daily work and our apostolic activity as contributions to the capital of grace. Through this, let the shrine become a source of blessing for many families. Amen.”
I am happy and grateful that I could accompany these seven young families on their way to the Schoenstatt covenant of love. We sincerely wish them many blessings and much joy and strength to live the covenant of love in daily life thus radiating hope and confidence to others.