Father Encounter
I) There are three contact points in our Schoenstatt covenant of love: the shrine, our MTA, and Father Kentenich. Father is one of the three contact points of Schoenstatt. Do we, as girls, understand what that means? Who is Father Kentenich? What does it mean that he’s one of the contact points in the covenant of love?
II) Who is Father Kentenich?
a) Father Kentenich is a priest. He was born in 1885, ordained in the community of the Pallottine Fathers in 1910, and he died in 1968. If you visit his grave today, you will find the words: Dilexit Ecclesiam. This is Latin for: He loved the church.
b) The founder of Schoenstatt – the instrument used by God and the Blessed Mother to bring this great and much-needed world of Schoenstatt into existence.
c) The father of Schoenstatt – just as a natural father cares for his child, so Father Kentenich cares for his child – Schoenstatt. But not only for Schoenstatt in general – for each and every child of Schoenstatt – for every person who makes the covenant of love with our MTA in the shrine.
III) What was Father like?
a) Caring – Some visitors came to Father from far. Before they could say anything, Father was concerned if they had eaten lunch. He got them something to eat, and suggested that they rest for the first day after the long journey and return the next day. He was concerned not only about their spiritual state, but also their natural state. They were tired and hungry.
b) Inconspicuous – In a group of girls, Father noticed that one had a toothache. He gave her money to go to the dentist, but in such a way that none of the other girls noticed. (Sr. M. Jean as a girl)
c) Joyful – When Father would travel by car from Milwaukee to Madison, he would often sing the Home Song. He had a very joyful voice and you could tell that what he sang was filled with meaning.
d) Childlike – A family with a small girl visited Father. The girl sat on his lap and he played a game with her. He said, “Eyes” and she pointed to his eyes. “Ears,” and she pointed to his ears. ... It went on in this way and then Father said, “Hair.” She looked up, was confused, then pointed to his beard. He laughed with all his might!
e) Patient – His secretary had just experienced a long string of Divine Providence and was telling him every detail of what had happened. It took quite a long time before the story was completed. He listened patiently to the entire narration and when she finished he said, “Now say it all again.” (Maria Kleinmayer)
f) Internationally-minded – An American came to visit Father and saw a Hispanic man just leaving. The Hispanic man kissed Father’s hand as a sign of respect before leaving. The American thought, maybe this is how you should treat Father. When he left he awkwardly reached for Father’s hand. Father said, “No, that was his way. You do it in your way.” He respected each culture that came before him.
g) Prayerful – A girl entered the shrine and discovered Father was kneeling in the back corner, alone. She wanted to pray with him, so she knelt next to him. He didn’t move. She knelt closer. He didn’t move. She cleared her throat. He didn’t move. Finally she gave up, said a few prayers and left. Father was so absorbed in prayer that he could not be distracted. (Sr. M. Petra as a girl)
h) A Father – A couple visited Father for the first time. Earlier that day they had gotten in an argument and the wife was giving the husband the silent treatment. She didn’t want to go to this “priest from Germany” but finally agreed and was determined to say nothing. When they got there she was impressed by his understanding, kind ways and within five minutes was telling him everything. Father listened and was able to help the couple. It was as if he was there only for them, as if he had nothing else to do but listen to the worries of this couple and to be there for them. (The Gmeinders)
IV) Father is the “supra-temporal” head of the Schoenstatt work.
a) What does “supra-temporal” mean? “Beyond time.” There is no limit to his being the head. He will always be in the position of the father and founder of Schoenstatt. Even now, he still watches over Schoenstatt and takes care of our concerns and needs. He was given this position by God and he keeps it for all times.
b) What does this mean for me? Even today, especially today, we can turn to Father as his children and count on his intercession. He is interested in a very personal way in each one of us, just as he was when he was alive, only now he is freer to do this in a fuller way.
c) How many of you have lost a loved one – a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a parent, or someone else? We believe in the church militant (on earth – us) the church suffering (in purgatory) and the church triumphant (in heaven). We know that we are still united to those loved ones who have gone before us. It is often said that if one has striven to fulfill their mission on earth, they may continue it in heaven. So we know that our grandparents, who loved us on earth, still love us in heaven.
d) In the same way, Father Kentenich still carries on his mission in heaven. Only his mission was far greater than that of your grandparents. His mission encompasses all of Schoenstatt – this great, world-wide movement within the Church. His mission includes each of us, every Schoenstatt child in a very special way. And since his mission and position are “supra-temporal,” “beyond time,” this will apply for us now, and for the generation that is coming after us, etc. down the line.
V) Does Father really care for me?
a) We know that truths remain truths, even if we forget about them. For example, the capital of Australia is still Canberra, even if I forgot when I was taking my geography test. This is a truth that does not affect our lives too much. But when we have a truth that does affect our lives, we have to be careful that we don’t forget it – that we remember it and remind ourselves constantly!
b) Father cares for us – for me. This is a very important truth that we shouldn’t forget! If this is really true – and it is – then I can go to him with my cares and worries, just like the people did when he was still alive. I can remember that through my covenant with our MTA, I am a child of Father and he is the Father of me. Just as a natural Father cares for his child, so does Father care for me.
c) So how do I become more aware of this? As with any relationship, it takes time. But we must begin by entrusting ourselves to him. We can turn to him with our intentions, we can tell him of our joys. Perhaps we can even imagine him saying to us, “Now say it all again.” Father wants us to come to him. He waits for us to come to him. Like the wife in the story, he wants us to tell him everything. He’s listening and he can help. He even helps to remind us, at times, to come to him. Since none of us knew Father in his earthly life, we have to try a little harder to get to know him now. We speak of Father’s “new presence.”
d) Here’s an example, and I’m going to tell you one testimony I heard from one of our sisters: “I was driving home from a meeting. I moved lanes to pass a semi-truck and found myself behind a slow car. What was my first reaction? I was a little annoyed. Then I noticed the license plate. It was very short. What could it be? I got a little closer and realized it was: JK. That was it! No numbers, nothing else, just “JK.” This is how our Father liked to sign his name. They’re his initials: Joseph Kentenich: JK. It was as if Father had sent me a little greeting from Heaven and said, “Be a little more patient. I am with you.” Can you imagine how her attitude changed in that moment? This is a very simple example.
VI) Personal time with Father
a) Now I would like to offer you an opportunity to meet with Father Kentenich. Soon we will visit the places where he was exiled for 14 years, and in order to be able to have a deeper encounter with Father Kentenich over there, we need to start getting to know him and meeting with him now. You can use some minutes in the day to read about him and talk to him. You can tell him whatever you want, or you can simply be. If you already know him, you can deepen your experience. If this is completely new for you, you can ask Father for the grace to understand his position in Schoenstatt and to get to know him more.
