2004, Schoenstatt Girls Youth W284 N698 Cherry Lane Waukesha, WI Authors: Sr. M. Frances Pizarro Sr. M. Emily Kenkel

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2 2004, Schoenstatt Girls Youth W284 N698 Cherry Lane Waukesha, WI Authors: Sr. M. Frances Pizarro Sr. M. Emily Kenkel 2007 reworked draft by SMD For private use only! 2

3 Introduction to the Room Shrine Dedication Dear, Now that you have made your Marian Apostles dedication, the Blessed Mother would like to have a special place in your room. She would like to dwell in your room and establish her throne of grace right there. Are you willing to invite her to your room? With the help of these outlines we will prepare for the room shrine dedication. You might be wondering what it is all about. Let s begin with an overview of what we will be covering: Table of Contents 1 What is a Room Shrine? Room Shrine History What Does the Blessed Mother Expect of Me? Capital of Grace -My Room a Beautiful Place 3 Visit the Blessed Mother in my Room Shrine Importance of Prayer What Can I Expect of the Blessed Mother? Three Graces Essentials for a Room Shrine Crucifix - The Picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable - Connection with the Shrine and Founder, Father Joseph Kentenich 6 Sacramentals in my Room Shrine Extra Touches to my Room Shrine My Personal Symbol in the Room Shrine - A Unique Name for my Room Shrine 8 Room Shrine Dedication & Erection Celebrations Answer Key

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5 Chapter 1: What is a Room Shrine? Room Shrine History Goal: * understand what a room shrine is * explain how we invite the Blessed Mother to dwell with us * learn about the history of the room shrine. I. We begin with an opening prayer: II. What is a room shrine? A place of Fill in the crossword puzzle as you go along with the explanation. 5 Word Box Pilgrimage Dwelling Miracles Prayer Grace Mary

6 Dwelling for Mary: Do you remember how the first Schoenstatt Shrine came about? Father Kentenich and the boys (young seminarians) invited the Blessed Mother, the Mother Thrice Admirable, to come and dwell in the little shrine. They wanted to give her a home there. Father Kentenich says that we can do the same in our rooms! We can invite the Blessed Mother to come and dwell there to be with us in a special way. There were three people who took Mary into their home in Scripture. Do you know who they are? On page 7 read the Scripture quotes and highlight the following sentences: - St. Joseph (Mt 1:18-24) - Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home! - St. Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45, 56) - How is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me? - St. John (Jn 19:25-27) - Behold your mother. (Quotes were taken from the New American Bible) These are the same words that are spoken to us! If we take Mary into our home, invite her to make her dwelling in our room, she will only do good for us. It is certainly an honor that Mary may choose my room as her home! Imagine if you were to invite the Holy Father to your home. Wouldn t it be an honor if he would accept? Now consider: This is Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother! She wants to dwell with us! Prayer Mary wants to come and dwell in our room. If Mary is there, isn t it natural that she wants us to come and speak to her? She loves us and wants to care for us like a mother cares for her children. Where can she do it better for us than in our own room, our own private place? Jesus tells us, When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret (Mt 6:6). Mary is waiting there for us; she wants to listen to us and bring our prayers to Jesus. Pilgrimage My room shrine will be a Schoenstatt Shrine, right in my very room! When Father Kentenich and the boys invited the Blessed Mother to come and dwell in their little chapel, they asked her to make it a place of pilgrimage. Can you think of other places of pilgrimage? (Lourdes, Fatima, Rome, etc.) People should come there and receive very special graces. So when we say that my room will become a place of pilgrimage, it means that it will be a Schoenstatt Shrine in my room from which all of my family members can benefit! I will not be the only one who receives gifts from the Blessed Mother my mom and dad, brothers and sisters, and also my friends who come to my room can receive special gifts and graces! Grace and Miracles What kinds of graces? Do you remember what the three graces of the Schoenstatt Shrine are? Finding a home: She will let us feel at home with her. Inner transformation: She will intercede miracles in us to help us stay away from sin and become holy! Apostolic zeal: She will set our hearts on fire with love for her and urge us to bring many people to herself and her Son. 6

7 Matthew 1:18-24 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us. When Joseph awoke he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. Luke 1:39-45, 56 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled! Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. John 19:25-27 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son. Then he said to the disciple, Behold, your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. 7

8 III. History of the Shrine -Fill In the Correct Information 1. During an important talk on this day, Father Kentenich and the boys invited Mary to come and dwell in the shrine and make it a place of pilgrimage. This is considered the birthday of Schoenstatt. (month, day, year) 2. Schoenstatt spread to other continents in the next 25 years; in 1943 the first daughter shrine was dedicated in Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay on what continent? 3. The first daughter shrine was built in North America in, Wisconsin. 4. In Milwaukee some got to know Father Kentenich and asked if they could invite Mary to dwell in their homes just like in the shrine. 5. The first home shrine was dedicated in Milwaukee in this year. Word Choice Box South America Families October 18, Madison 8

9 IV. Craft My Room is your Shrine card Go briefly through the prayer, explaining that Father Kentenich wrote it when he was living in Milwaukee in May of Have the girls cut the prayer out and glue it onto a piece of card stock paper of the same size. They may decorate the card as they please with colored pencils, glue pens, etc. Punch two holes in the top; string a piece of cord or yarn through the holes. Suggest that they hang this card somewhere in their room and pray it often as they prepare to dedicate their room shrine. V. Closing Prayer the prayer on the card could be used for a closing prayer My room is your shrine, Where you work to the glory of the Father. There he transforms my entire being Into the Trinity s most beloved shrine, Where the sanctuary light constantly burns And the glow of love never dies; Where the fire of sacrifice upon sacrifice Banishes all selfishness from the heart; Where roses adorn the altar And lilies never cease to bloom; Where paradisal breezes waft And raise heart and mind to heaven; Where the spirit of the world cannot enter As in the eternal city of Sion; Where peace reigns and happiness laughs Because God s angel keeps diligent watch; Where Christ rules and is triumphant And leads the whole world to the Father. J.Kentenich, Milwaukee, May

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11 Chapter 2: What Does the Blessed Mother Expect of Me? Capital of Grace My Room a Beautiful Place Goal: - introduction into the expectations that the Blessed Mother has of us from our room shrine - understand the meaning of grace and the importance of their contributions to the capital of grace - see that when Mary is invited into our room, she helps us keep it in order I. Opening Prayer: Mother, you are beautiful, gladly my heart turns to you. My greatest joy shall ever be to form your image within me, Until your features one by one are reflected in my being. So the Father happily, sees your image within me And full of joy at my life s end calls me his child by your name, Maria! II. Introduction Puzzle: What does the Blessed Mother expect of me? E T O L I E V E A T H R M E O T V H R H N E E P T E R A O B M I E O S T E S O H T F S O L U R L R M E A R T I A E S N I A Y P O Y R S O T L E S N D G E D I C A T M T I O N S U D A A Y R S U A I T X D U Q C K T K X H Z M I N E R N O B P N I V W L M V N M W D P S N V L O X T Y Y A M A A K H I A S X N B M A W E E Y O K X O W B H U P D A E X N E E U Q B S O X Y S H O W S T S E N I Z A G A M D A Y S S R E Y A R P V R D O Z N R H D I Q M M Q Z P C W F 11

12 III. Capital of Grace Our Three Promises as Marian Apostles A. We will be speaking of the expectations that the Blessed Mother has of our room shrine. The hidden message in the puzzle give us a clue as to what the Blessed Mother expects from us. 1. She expects that we live the promises we made to her at our Marian Apostles dedication. Looking at the words in the word puzzle see if you can remember those promises. We promised to: Attend holy Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Pray the dedication prayer, My Queen, My Mother, every day. Choose appropriate magazines, shows, and entertainment which correspond to the ideals of a Marian Apostle. 2. She expects our contributions to the capital of grace. Do you know what grace is? B. Grace Game Give each girl a card with a word on it that starts with the following letters: G, R, A, C, E. If the group is bigger than five persons divide the group into five groups and give each group one card. All the members of the group should participate in the drawing. Each girl makes a drawing of the word she gets. They girls can t tell each other their word they got. When all finish their drawings, the leader shows the drawings to the group so that everyone tries to guess the words that were drawn. The girls must build the word grace from the starting letter of each drawn word. Example: Girl Rose Altar Cathedral Egg C. Discussion We have just built the word grace. Grace is as important for our supernatural life as is food for our bodies. Grace is the greatest gift God has given us. Christ merited all the grace we need for our redemption without our having to do anything. We can t increase the grace Christ has merited for us. It is enough for every person until the end of time. However, Christ does not force us to accept his grace. He makes himself dependent on us. This activity should help you understand what I have just said. 12

13 D. Application: Contributions to the Capital of Grace Because God likes to distribute his grace through the Blessed Mother, we bring all our prayers, sacrifices, and studies to her in the shrine. Through our contributions she helps others to come closer to God. As Marian Apostles, the Blessed Mother expects that we offer contributions to the capital of grace. We can do so by putting into practice what we promised on our dedication day. How can we do it in a way that will help us not to forget it very easily? We can do so by keeping a record of it. (See worksheet pages 14 & 15) Each time we offer a contribution to the capital of grace by living our promises we can color one of the squares. Discussion: In our everyday life we have many opportunities to offer our contributions to the capital of grace. Let us look at the worksheet Filling the Capital of Grace and see the many ways and possibilities we have to offer as contributions to the capital of grace. After looking at these examples each one should think of a contribution for each different area and write it down. E. Craft: Decorate the capital of grace sheet using construction paper, hole punches, crayons, colored pencils,etc. IV. Mary helps us to keep our room clean. We offer this also as a contribution to the capital of grace. (See the monthly chart on p. 16) V. Closing Prayer: Teach the morning offering. This prayer was written by Father Kentenich. Suggest that we try to pray it every day in the morning. Since we wake up in the morning this is a way to offer to the Blessed Mother the day to come for the capital of grace. Morning Offering What I bear and endure, what I say and what I dare, what I think and what I cherish, all the merits that I gain, what I direct and what I conquer, all my joys and all my sorrows: what I am and what I have, I give to you as a gift of love. Use it so that the holy stream of graces flowing richly from the shrine may fill the souls of those who have given their hearts to Schoenstatt and gently lead there all those whom you wish to choose in kindness. Accept everything that our efforts may be fruitful which we dedicate to the Trinity. (Heavenwards, page 16) 13

14 Attend holy Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Pray the dedication prayer, My Queen, My Mother, every day. Choose appropriate magazines, shows and entertainment which correspond to the ideals of a Marian Apostle. 14

15 Through my Schoolwork: Completing my homework well and on time Making an effort to do well and finish those subjects that I don t like Saying a little prayer in my room shrine before major projects, quizzes and tests... Through my Prayer Life: Faithfully praying my morning and evening prayers each day Remembering to pray meal prayers Taking time out for quiet prayer or spiritual reading Greeting the images of Jesus and Mary when I enter my room Receiving the sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession regularly Praying the prayer, My Queen, My Mother, each day Through Family Life: Helping out with a joyful and willing heart when I am asked Keeping a watchful eye, so that I can be of help even before someone asks me Making efforts to get along and promote peace within my family Doing deeds of kindness for those who are sad or having difficulties Praying for my family members Among my Friends: Setting a good example for them Being a good listener, and giving good advice Encouraging my friends in their faith Sharing my faith with others when possible Praying/attending Mass together Inviting my friends to Schoenstatt In my Personal Life: Being modest in the way I dress Choosing only appropriate TV shows, magazines, books, etc. Offering little sacrifices during the day out of love for Christ 15

16 Mark with an X when you do the activities on the left side of the chart. Write the month and the dates across the top. If my room is to become a Schoenstatt Shrine, a special dwelling place for Mary, our Mother Thrice Admirable, I need to make it worthy of such great guests! So how does my room look? Is it usually clean and orderly, or...? Could I use some help in cleaning my room to make it ready for the Blessed Mother? 16

17 Chapter 3: Visit the Blessed Mother in my Room Shrine Goal: - to understand how important it is to visit the Blessed Mother in our room shrine - to see the room shrine as a place of prayer - to explain various definitions of prayer - to encourage us to pray in our room shrine I. Opening Prayer (written by Father Joseph Kentenich as a youth) Hail Mary for the sake of your purity, keep me pure in body and soul, Open wide to me your heart and the heart of your Son. Implore for me deep self knowledge and the grace to persevere and remain faithful until death. Give me souls and keep all else for yourself. II. Introduction Today we will speak about one more expectation that the Blessed Mother has of us from our room shrine. She would like us to visit her in our room shrine. Why does she want this? She wants us to visit her and bring her all our concerns. She wants us to bring her all we experience during the day, our joys and sorrows. She simply wants us to speak to her and to her Son. What do we call this conversation? We call it prayer. III. What is Prayer? A. Prayer Definitions (Sheet on page 18) Look at the definitions of prayer. Read the definitions and then vote on one your group likes the best. If you like more than one, write a new definition of prayer using all the ideas. This will be the group definition of prayer. B. From the Catechism Let s take a look at what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about prayer: Prayer is the raising of one s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. [CCC #2559] 17

18 Phrases (aphorisms) taken from You and Your God, Father Joseph Kentenich, translated from Du und Dein Gott: 1. The easiest explanation to the question, What is prayer? is: a personal talk with God. (p. 15) 2. A personal prayer! I bring God my personal intentions and do it in my original personal language. (p. 15) 3. Whatever interests us, that s what we should talk over with God in our own simple way. We talk things over with him just as we would with a person. Of course that presupposes that God is a personal you for us. (p. 16) 4. What should prayer be for me? It s having an audience with the King of Kings. All of heaven, the angels and saints take part in the audience. (p. 19) 5. Whoever prays lives in another world. Whoever prays has contact with another world, whoever prays lives out of the inspiration of another world. (p. 35) 6. Lift up your hearts to God! This is the God who surrounds us, who is closer to us than the water is to the fish. This is the God who is closer to us than the air is to the birds. In him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). This God is also in us, he dwells in us. We want to lift up our hearts in prayer to this all-present God who lives in us. We want to unite our inner faculties to this great and allpowerful God. (p. 19) 18

19 C. Types of Prayer From hearing the definition of prayer, we can see that Father Kentenich and the catechism have basically the same idea of what prayer is all about. There are also five different types of prayer. It s important for us to know these five types so that we can honor God as he wishes to be honored. The five types of prayer are: (Write on the chalkboard) 1. Adoration: returning to God the love we receive from him, and giving him the worship he deserves as our King and Creator. 2. Petition: asking God for every need, especially for forgiveness and the coming of Christ s Kingdom, but also for every personal need, small or large. 3. Intercession: praying on behalf of others, even enemies. 4. Thanksgiving: thanking God for all good things and in every situation. 5. Praise: giving glory to God not because of what he does, but because of who he is. Activity: On the worksheet, write out the Scripture quotations given below. Identify which prayer form the verse describes or is an example of. Write the name of the form next to the verse. 1. Luke 18: Thessalonians 5:18 3. Psalm 8:1 4. Ephesians 1:3 5. Psalm 9: Thessalonians 1: Peter 1:3 8. Revelation 19:1 9. Acts 7: James 1:5 (Taken from 100 Activities Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, p. 71) D. Application How can I pray in my room shrine? How can I pray? Five points the five points of a star that can fill our lives with much light! Make a star after explaining the five points. Write the points on the star so that they won t be forgotten. (See Star pattern on page 20.) (See the following website:. 19

20 5-Pointed Star Make a five-pointed star by folding a piece of construction paper a few times and then making one cut. This type of 5-pointed star was made by Betsy Ross (or more likely, Francis Hopkinson, a tailor and signer of the Declaration of Independence), for the first flag of the United States of America. For each Star you will need: a piece of paper a pencil scissors Fold a piece of paper in half (an 8 1/2 inch by 10 inch rectangle will work - just cut off the lower inch of a piece of standard typing paper). Write the letters "A", "B", "C" and "M" on it as shown in the picture. "A" and "C" are the edges along the fold. "M" is the mid-point of "A" and "C"; "B" is the vertical mid-point of the folded paper. Fold corner "A" to the line extending through "C." Mark this newly-formed corner "D." Fold corner "C" over the paper edge running from "B" to "D" (along the dotted line). Make another fold along the dotted line D-C. Cut the paper along a line from a point near one edge to a point about halfway to the point "D" (the dotted line illustrated on the left). Unfold the star. Source: ( 20 *We give permission to print copies of our web pages, on paper, 20 for classroom use and for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as the pages are unmodified and as long as our copyright notice appears clearly on each page distributed EnchantedLearning.com

21 E. Make a routine for yourself: 1. Pray morning consecration in the room shrine 2. Evening consecration in the room shrine 3. Bring your contributions to the capital of grace and say a short prayer to the Blessed Mother (in the room shrine) 4. Choose (or make up) a practice of prayer that fits best to your circumstances and to who you are! St. Bernadette loved to pray the rosary, but St. Therese of the Child Jesus had a hard time praying the rosary. They both still prayed it! But it was much easier for St. Bernadette to pray this way. St. Therese had a preference for quiet, meditative prayer she started practicing this already as a child when she went fishing with her father! (And do your prayer practice in your room shrine) 5. Think of someone in particular for whom you want to offer your prayer there is always someone who needs our prayers! Offer the time of prayer for that person! If you are distracted during your prayer because you are thinking about someone else, make this person, with their needs, part of your prayer (pray for them in your room shrine). E. Something Important to Remember! Persevere in prayer! Every great athlete who wants to win the gold medal has to practice and train in his sport every day. It is similar with prayer: Our goal is to become filled with God, to become one with him, to bring him, his love into our world. This will not happen overnight, because there is much self-love in us due to original sin. God the Father knows this. We cannot take our feelings as our point of reference. I don t pray only because I feel like praying, but because I need to pray if I want to be filled with God to be holy, as our Father in heaven is holy. There is so little of heaven on earth because we spend so little time in prayer!!! So, just like athletes will train no matter how they feel, I pray, on good days, on bad days, on days that I am happy, on days when I am upset or sad or tired or busy or... If I do not eat for one whole day, I will be very hungry the next. If I don t eat for a few days, I can become very sick. If I stop eating all together, we know what happens. Apply this idea to prayer. Prayer is the nourishment for my soul. How hungry is your soul right now? Remember that to pray is to love. And we may love God because he has loved us first! Each beat of our heart is a proof of his closeness, his love for us. He tells each one of us: N, you are precious to me and I love you. The proper response to this gift of love is to love in return! Father, you are precious to me and I love you! Show me what you want of me, and help me that I may give you what you ask of me! III. Craft (page 22) On the worksheet with the praying child write out your favorite prayer. Decorate the prayer with colored pencils and markers. 21

22 IV. Closing Prayer: We give ourselves to the Blessed Mother and ask her to teach us how to pray. Her entire life was a prayer; heaven touched earth through her. May we become masters of prayer after Mary s example. We pray : My Queen, My Mother, I give myself entirely to you. And to show my devotion to you, I consecrate to you this day, my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my entire self without reserve, as I am your own, my good Mother, guard me and defend me as your property and Prayer 22

23 Chapter 4: What Can I Expect of the Blessed Mother? Goal: - to show how the Blessed Mother will establish her throne in our room shrines - to make us aware that the Blessed Mother will distribute graces from their room shrine - to review and deepen their knowledge of the three pilgrimage graces I. Opening Prayer (Room Shrine Prayer written by Father Joseph Kentenich, May 1965) My room is your shrine, Where you work to the glory of the Father. There he transforms my entire being Into the Trinity s most beloved shrine, Where the sanctuary light constantly burns And the glow of love never dies; Where the fire of sacrifice upon sacrifice Banishes all selfishness from the heart; Where roses adorn the altar And lilies never cease to bloom; Where paradisal breezes waft And raise heart and mind to heaven; Where the spirit of the world cannot enter As in the eternal city of Sion; Where peace reigns and happiness laughs Because God s angel keeps diligent watch; Where Christ rules and is triumphant And leads the whole world to the Father. II. Introduction We looked at what the Blessed Mother expects from us, from our room shrine. We said that she expects: that we live what we promised at our Marian Apostles dedication. that we offer contributions to the capital of grace. that we keep order in our rooms. that we visit her in our room shrine and pray there. Today we want to look at what we expect from the Blessed Mother. We expect that she establish herself in our room shrine and that from there she distributes graces. 23

24 III. Our Room Shrine, the Dwelling Place of Mary Divide the girls into small groups if possible. Hand each group a dictionary. Each group is to look for the word dwelling in the dictionary and find two synonyms. They are to write a sentence with each synonym that has to do with the dwelling of the Blessed Mother in their room shrine. Then within the group discuss the answers. (If possible write the synonyms and sentences on a blackboard or big poster board.) A. What Does Dwelling Mean? When we look in the dictionary we can find various synonyms like: a house, a home, an abode, a residence, etc. We want to stick with the synonym a home. We expect the Blessed Mother to find a home in our room shrine and stay there. We want her to have a dwelling place there as she did in St. Elizabeth s and St. John s homes, as we discussed in our first meeting. During our first meeting we recalled the founding of Schoenstatt and how Father Kentenich and the boys (young seminarians) invited the Blessed Mother, the Mother Thrice Admirable, to come and dwell in the little chapel. They wanted to give her a home there. Father Kentenich says that we can do the same in our rooms! We can invite the Blessed Mother to come and dwell there to be with us in a special way. Isn t this a great gift?! Yes, we want to invite the Blessed Mother to establish her home in our rooms. Then our room will become a Schoenstatt Shrine, a place of grace. From our room she will fulfill what she promised when Schoenstatt was founded: She will come to dwell in our midst, work miracles of grace, and bestow upon us gifts and favors in abundance. In our room she will do exactly what she does in any Schoenstatt Shrine throughout the world. She will distribute graces. Which graces? Do you know what grace means? Graces are gifts we receive from God. Grace is a favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life. [CCC #1996] The Blessed Mother wants to intercede special graces for us! B. The Three Pilgrimage Graces Discussion: Discuss the meaning of each of the graces, using the worksheet The Three Pilgrimage Graces on page. Emphasize the importance that these are the miracles that the Blessed Mother works from our Schoenstatt Shrine and also from our room shrine. Then discuss their answers to the question: How can these graces affect us? Compare and contrast with the miracles worked at other pilgrimage places. 24

25 T he grace of being at home What does it mean to be at home? T he grace of inner transformation What does it mean? T he grace of apostolic fruitfulness This means... 25

26 C. Explanation of the Three Pilgrimage Graces 1. The Grace of Being at Home We all need a place where we feel at home, where we feel secure, where we feel loved and accepted. This is a basic need for our society today. There is no one who doesn t want or need this. The Blessed Mother wants to give this to us in our room shrine. 2. The Grace of Inner Transformation The Blessed Mother accepts me as I am, but she wants to ennoble my positive qualities and help me with my weaknesses. She wants to transform me! She wants me to be interiorly strengthened to love God even more and to give my life completely to his service in all I do. Schoenstatt was founded not so much for miracles of a physical kind, but for the renewal of the person the new person, the holy person. From our room shrine the Blessed Mother wants to give this grace to you and the members of your family. 3. The Grace of Apostolic Fruitfulness It is not enough to believe in our faith, we also must live and give it on to others. This is what it means to be apostolic. Each person is different and has a different way of being apostolic. From the shrine the Blessed Mother gives us the grace to find our way of being apostolic and the strength to do it. To really be fruitful for other people is a grace that the Blessed Mother gives us in our room shrine. We call it the grace of apostolic fruitfulness. It is apostolic because through it we become little apostles. Discussion (Worksheets on pages 27 & 28) Questions for Reflection: 1. Which of the graces do you think would be the most necessary, valuable, and important for you? 2. How can these graces help us to become holy true Marian Apostles? IV. Craft (See worksheet for instructions.on page 29. ) Prepare a gift box and on a sheet of paper write the name of the grace you want to pray for during the coming month. Place this in the gift box. Put the box in a place where you will see it often. Ccolor and decorate the box as you wish. V. Closing prayer * One possible idea for a resolution would be to pray daily for these graces. The Blessed Mother has many graces available, but we must ask for them. 26

27 How can these graces affect us? A) B) C) D) E) 27

28 Melissa is a Marian Apostle who recently had her room shrine dedication. When the Blessed Mother took her place in Melissa s room shrine, she began to distribute her graces of HOME, TRANSFORMATION, and APOSTOLIC FRUITFULNESS. Melissa opened her heart to receive these graces. Read the following examples from Melissa s life, and decide whether they are examples of the grace of home, transformation, or apostolic fruitfulness by marking them either H, T, or AF By nature, Melissa tends to be a little lazy. Since she dedicated her room shrine, however, she has been able to overcome her laziness by offering to help her mother with the household chores, even before she is asked. Melissa is friends with two girls who do not get along very well. They often disagree and argue when they are together. They have noticed that Melissa is very joyful, and tries to be friends with everyone. When Melissa is with them, they make a special effort to get along and be joyful. Melissa has always liked her room, but now that the Blessed Mother dwells there, she likes it even more! When she went away for a family vacation, Melissa missed her room shrine, and looked forward to being able to pray there again. One summer afternoon, Melissa s family invited their cousins to come over to their home. Melissa took her cousins to see her room, and when they walked in, they noticed her room shrine. Melissa took the opportunity to explain the meaning of her room shrine, and to invite them to a Schoenstatt youth weekend that would take place in a few weeks. In her sixth grade class, there is a girl who is very hard for Melissa to get along with. For an upcoming project, Melissa and this girl were assigned to work together! Melissa prayed every morning in her room shrine that she would be kind and patient with her new partner, and by the time the project was finished, the two girls discovered that they got along pretty well! Each time Melissa went into her room, the picture of the shrine in her room shrine made her think of the shrine closest to her home. The next time she visited the shrine, she felt a special connection to her room shrine, and she felt like the Blessed Mother was welcoming her in a special way. Melissa was looking for a little gift she could offer to the Blessed Mother in her room shrine. The next Sunday, when her family attended holy Mass, she made a special effort to pay attention at holy Mass. A little girl sitting behind Melissa was impressed by her good example, and thought to do the same. 28

29 Trim all outside edges following heavy black line and any additional graphic outlines. Cut dotted lines. Fold at all thin lines. Glue tabs to inside of box. 29

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31 Chapter 5: The Essentials for a Room Shrine Crucifix Picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable Connection with the Schoenstatt Shrine Connection with Father Joseph Kentenich the founder of Schoenstatt Goal: - to explain the essential elements of the room shrine - to explain the importance of the crucifix - to understand the MTA picture as a picture of grace - to understand the connection to the network of Schoenstatt shrines - to understand the importance of Father Joseph Kentenich as the founder of Schoenstatt I. Opening prayer: (Excerpt from Heavenwards prayers page 90) Let me present the cross and the picture of Mary to the nations as the sign of redemption So that the two who stand as one in the Father s plan of love May never be divided. II. Introduction Essential elements of the room shrine Look at the essential elements sheet on page 32. In the room shrine there are two essential elements that must be present in order for your room to become a genuine Schoenstatt Shrine. They are: the crucifix the picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt Besides those two things, there are several other parts which are very meaningful to put in one s room shrine. They are: a picture or symbol of the Schoenstatt Shrine a picture of the founder, Father Joseph Kentenich sacramentals (other religious items) 31

32 The Crucifix What kind of crucifix do I want? The MTA Picture What do I want my MTA picture to look like? A Picture or Symbol of the Schoenstatt Shrine A Picture of the Founder Which picture of the shrine and of Father Kentenich do I like best? What other objects do I want to place in my room shrine? Where can I give the MTA a home in my room? Sacramentals (Other religious items) 32

33 III. Essential Elements A. Crucifix 1. Explanation: Father Kentenich tells us that we should love Jesus like Mary and with Mary! Mary and Jesus are always united. Jesus became man because of Mary s yes, and when Jesus died on the cross, he spoke the words, Woman, behold your son.... Behold your mother. Jesus wants Mary to help him! Just like he came to us through Mary, he wants us to come to him through Mary. According to Father Kentenich, Mary s mission is to help Christ to redeem the world. She is always at his side; she, like a true mother, wants the best for all her children and wants to help them reach eternal happiness in heaven. She wants to lead us straight to Jesus. That s why in our room shrine, the crucifix cannot be left behind. The MTA picture symbolizes that we invite Mary into our rooms to make them a true Schoenstatt Shrine; the crucifix symbolizes that as our Mother Thrice Admirable she shows us how to love him and gives us graces to come closer to him every day. How do we love Jesus like Mary? How did Mary love Jesus? (Give answers.) She loved him more than anyone or anything else. This means that: she loved him to the point of being able to sacrifice for him. The Seven Sorrows of Mary tell us of times in the Blessed Mother s life when she was able to sacrifice out of love for Jesus. (Go through them briefly puzzle is optional on page 34.) She loved Jesus so much that she was able to give up things she cherished even Jesus himself. She wanted to give absolutely everything to him. She had to leave her home and flee to Egypt. She had to accept it when he told her that he had to be about his father s affairs. She stood painfully under the cross and watched her child die in pain while the crowd and soldiers mocked him. Love, when it is genuine, is capable of making real sacrifices. We have to think: Do I love Jesus enough to sacrifice what I like for his sake? For example, if there is one cookie left and I know my little sister would like it, do I eat it, telling myself that she ll never know if it s gone, or do I take it and offer it to her? Or, if my mom has had a hard day at work, do I let her do the dishes or do I offer to let her go to bed and do the dishes myself? Our love for Jesus is proved in our love for others! Or, do I take time to pray every day? Is spending time with Jesus worth sacrificing doing other things I like to do? Mary certainly spent time praying! And we should love Jesus with Mary. What do you think that means? Whatever we do together with Mary is much, much more valuable because she is loved so much by her Son. So when we pray to Jesus, we should ask Mary to pray with us. When we make a sacrifice, we do it together with Mary, and it will please Jesus even more. 33

34 Complete the following puzzle by starting with the bolded square in the middle and going to the right, reading in circles counterclockwise, writing down the letters in order below and crossing them off as you go along. There are numbers in between to help you separate the seven sorrows. When you are finished, unscramble the bold letters to find out how Father Kentenich tells us we should love Jesus! B S O O D C Y A F L R V O A M R T Y H 5 E T C H R O T M J E S U S 4 H E E T S Y A O R P Y T E 3 O T N H 2 E T T H R M C R I W F G M R O P H R E U R H E H N O E O I P S E T H H E E F E E E T C S S 7 H I S I C T I T F O Y C L - I F B F O N O T A N R I A T P H E G S I Y D A N G I X U R L T S I R H C H T I W I I A V O M E R E H T 6 N O A L 1. The prophecy of S. 2. The flight into E. 3. The three days separation from J. 4. Her meeting with Christ on the way to C. 5. The C. 6. The removal of Christ s body from the C. 7. His b. Love him like Mary and with Mary! 34

35 Dear Jesus, As I prepare for my room shrine dedication, I would like to invite you to dwell in my room in a special way... 35

36 B. Picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt 1. The Title of the MTA What does Mother Thrice Admirable mean? How do we see the Blessed Mother as thrice admirable? We honor Mary as Mother of God, Mother of the Redeemer, and Mother of the Redeemed. 2. Discussion The MTA picture is a picture of grace. What do you think that means? It means that God has chosen this particular picture for Schoenstatters as the sacramental through which we receive graces. It is this picture that identifies a Schoenstatt Shrine and lets one know: Here dwells the Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen, and Victress of Schoenstatt; here I can receive graces, especially the three pilgrimage graces of the Schoenstatt Shrine (being at home, inner transformation, and apostolic fruitfulness). Therefore it is very important that if we want the Blessed Mother to come and dwell in our rooms and make them into Schoenstatt Shrines, not just any shrine, we enthrone the picture of grace of Schoenstatt, the MTA picture. The MTA picture is a symbol of Mary. It is Mary that we want to invite to come and dwell in our rooms; we symbolize her presence in our room shrine with the sign of the MTA picture. 3. Symbolism of the picture Have the girls look at the MTA picture. There are several important and meaningful parts to the picture. What do you see that makes the picture special? Mary is holding her child, Jesus, with both hands. But she is holding him loosely which symbolizes two things. First, she holds him loosely because she wants to give him to us. Secondly, artists have pointed out that it would be impossible for a person to hold such a big child so loosely without the child falling. This symbolizes that Jesus is also carried by his heavenly Father. The veil (a symbol of virginity) that covers Mary s head appears to be the same piece of cloth that is wrapped around Jesus a symbol of Mary s unity with Jesus which came about because of her virginity. The hearts of both Mary and Jesus are united another symbol of their unity and their love for each other. The clouds are a symbol of heaven where Jesus and Mary reign as King and Queen. 36

37 The light surrounds Mary and Jesus. It is brightest around Jesus, the Light from Light. This is a symbol that Mary leads us out of the darkness of sin to the light of her Son. 4. Where to erect the picture of the Mother Thrice Admirable. It is very important that we choose the right place in our room to put up the MTA picture and all the parts of our room shrine. Would I like to have my room shrine above my bed, where I feel protected? Would I like to have it above my desk, where I can look to her when I work there? Would I like to give her a special corner where I can kneel before her? Would I like to place her picture on top of my dresser where there is room for my whole family to gather around? You see, there are lots of different places! Since each room is unique, each room shrine will be in a unique place but make sure you choose the place that is most effective for you. We are talking about this already now so that you can start thinking about it! Word Box Sinners Teacher St. Michael Octagonal 1. The picture of Mary came into the shrine after the founding of Schoenstatt on October 18, It was given to the boys by a. 2. The picture frame was in an shaped frame. 3. The original title for the picture was Refuge of. 4. Before the MTA picture was erected, this statue was in the center of the shrine:. 37

38 POPE JOHN PAUL II AND THE MTA On October 20, 2001, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz of Santiago, Chile visited Schoenstatt, where he told the following story about Pope John Paul II: One day someone brought him an MTA picture to bless. He said, This picture has accompanied me since my childhood. Much later I asked him why he said this. He answered, I grew up in a Pallottine parish. They brought the MTA picture to many families. It was also in my home. From this statement we realize that the pope (born 1920) grew up knowing the MTA picture and even having it in his home. From other witnesses we know that there is an MTA picture in his papal apartment as well. MOTHER TERESA AND THE MTA She marveled at the communication between Mother and Child Mother Teresa s reaction to the gift of an MTA picture just months before her death. ROME, "Vínculo," Chile (schoenstatt.de). When the Holy Father beatifies Mother Teresa in Rome this Sunday, October 19, many Schoenstatters will be among the more than 200,000 faithful in St. Peter s Square. Diego Barceló, a member of Schoenstatt from Argentina, recalls a special moment with Mother Teresa just months before her death: It happened after the New Year s Eve Mass on December 31, At that time the health of Mother Teresa was very fragile. In the photograph one sees that she is in a wheelchair. A few months earlier she had insisted on being released from the hospital to share the fate of the poor, without any extra care. After Mass that evening I had the chance to present her with a picture of the Blessed Mother of Schoenstatt. It was an interesting situation, for when I gave her the picture, she paused for a few seconds, lost in the gaze of the MTA. She expressed her astonishment at the expression of unity between Mother and Son, the deep communication between Jesus and Mary in this picture. After a while she said, Thank you, and gave it back to me. I explained that it was a gift. But she said that she could not possibly accept such a beautiful picture. As she said that, she gave it back to me a second time. Finally she accepted the gift. She was happy and seemed like a little child who had received a precious gift. The whole episode lasted only a few minutes. The next day one of her sisters told me that she liked the picture very much. She asked that it be hung in her room. I later heard that it hung there until her death on September 5,

39 C. Connection to the network of Schoenstatt Shrines 1. Shrine Symbol: Lay pictures of many different shrines out on the table. Look at them and decide which one you like best. Fill in the space below, Why is the shrine special to me? Using the pictures to help visualize the shrine, write down at least one reason why the shrine is special. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOENSTATT SHRINE 1. Mary dwells there The Schoenstatt Shrine is a pilgrimage place where Mary dwells. She has taken up her home in the shrine and is really present there! Just as the sun is always shining but is especially effective in certain places, so Mary is always with us, but in a very special way in the shrine. 2. Mary is fruitful from there Mary dwells in the shrine and from there she wants to renew the world. She does that by giving us special graces!! 3. The shrine is unique to Schoenstatt In most well-known pilgrimage places, Mary appeared to someone and then a shrine or church was built in her honor. In Schoenstatt, there was no apparition Mary was invited to come and dwell in this little shrine and to intercede miracles of grace from there. Secondly, the shrine is unique because there are over 180 replicas of the Original Shrine all over the world! The Blessed Mother wants to give a home to her children in all countries and renew every part of the world from the shrine. 39

40 D. Connection to Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of Schoenstatt 1. A picture of Father Kentenich is another meaningful part of my room shrine! Look at the three pictures below and explain what this tells you about Father Kentenich. 2. Father Kentenich is the founder of Schoenstatt. What does it mean to be a founder? This It means that he founded Schoenstatt. He began it; he was the instrument God used to begin Schoenstatt. But Father Kentenich wasn t a founder in the ordinary sense. He didn t sit down and draw up plans for what Schoenstatt should be and then put it into being. No, he simply followed God s lead. That is called divine providence. Whenever God seemed to wish something of him, he said yes and tried to carry it out. That is why we can really believe that Schoenstatt is a work of God. 3. Father Kentenich is also a father. What does it mean to be a father? It means to love his children, to care for their well-being, to want what is best for them, to lead them to God the Father... Father Kentenich did all of this and still does all of this from heaven. He loved all the people who belonged to Schoenstatt and really took them into his heart. There are lots of stories (we call them mosaic stones ) told about Father being introduced to someone and then many years later seeing them again and remembering their concerns from that time. And you can imagine how many people told Father Kentenich their intentions, their wishes, their concerns. Yet he, like a true father, loved each one personally. Father Kentenich also loved his Schoenstatt children so much that he offered many great sacrifices for them. He went to the concentration camp of Dachau voluntarily for the sake of his children! A picture of Father Kentenich is very meaningful for my room shrine for two reasons. First, it reminds us that we should be thankful to him for founding Schoenstatt and saying yes to God s will. Secondly, since we belong to Schoenstatt then we are also children of Father Kentenich, and we want to grow closer to him as a father and he can help us know God the Father better. 40

41 Chapter 6: Sacramentals in my Room Shrine Goal: - understand the difference between the sacraments and sacramentals - find the sacramentals they would like to have in their room shrine I. Opening Prayer: I trust your might, your kindness Mother dear, I do believe that you are always near, Schoenstatt s great Queen, O Mother mild, I blindly trust in you and in your child. II. Definitions: What is a Sacrament? A. Sacraments are visible signs of invisible grace. Grace refers to God s life in us. The sacraments include actions, words and symbols that make the Lord s friendship present so we can perceive it. For example, when two people exchange their promise of love and fidelity in marriage, Jesus enters their relationship. His friendship guides their lifelong commitment to love each other and raise a family. The couple is a sign to each other of the love Jesus has for them. B. The traditional definition of sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. Jesus gave his church external signs as ways to meet him. For example when a priest says, I absolve you, we can be sure Jesus forgives our sins. The sacraments are power signs; sacraments bring about what they point to. For example, the water of baptism brings about death to an old life of sin and a new life in Christ. See Catechism of the Catholic Church: 1084 "Seated at the right hand of the Father" and pouring out the Holy Spirit on his Body which is the Church, Christ now acts through the sacraments he instituted to communicate his grace. The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify Sacraments are "powers that come forth" from the Body of Christ, which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church. They are "the masterworks of God" in the new and everlasting covenant The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions. 41

42 Review in a brief way each one of the sacraments using the chart below: SACRAMENT SIGN WORDS Baptism The pouring of water I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Confirmation Anointing with oil Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Eucharist Bread and wine The Eucharistic prayer in the Liturgy with the words of institution: This is my body this is my blood Reconciliation Contrition and confession God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Anointing of the Sick Anointing with oil and laying on of hands Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up. Matrimony Mutual consent of husband and wife to live a covenant relationship Priest witnesses on behalf of the church the intentions and consent of the couple to live as a Christian couple. Holy Orders Bishop laying on of hands The Prayer to the Holy Spirit in the preface of the ordination Mass. 42

43 List the seven sacraments: What are sacraments? What are sacramentals? (See the difference.) How do sacramentals help us?