{"id":152263,"date":"2015-09-21T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=152263"},"modified":"2015-09-21T20:16:46","modified_gmt":"2015-09-22T01:16:46","slug":"something-greater-than-ourselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/something-greater-than-ourselves\/","title":{"rendered":"Something Greater Than Ourselves"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Homepage-3-e1425572889342\"<\/a>In a little less than 2 weeks, on October 11, Bishop Joe Vasquez will celebrate Mass at the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, in honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Schoenstatt<\/a>, and to give thanks for the first year anniversary<\/a> of the Shrine.<\/p>\n

What might inspire us to go? What might help us brave the traffic in pilgrimage out to West Austin instead of praying comfortable in my own house? What makes it different from a regular mass at our local parish? What will convince me to deal with the crowds of people I don\u2019t know? What might make us venture out and try something new in our faith lives?<\/p>\n

And perhaps we have these questions not just about a special mass like this one, but also about weekly mass, or even the Church in general. Surely some of us have had similar discouraging thoughts about our Holy Father\u2019s up-coming visit<\/a> to the US in September \u2013 it\u2019s going to be tons of people, too many events, too far away, and with the media we won\u2019t be able to avoid the politics of this and of that\u2026what would make us bother at all, and take the risk?<\/p>\n

My intuition? Our \u201cwhat\u201d is our longing to become a part of something greater than ourselves. Sometimes we get so distracted \u2013 distance, discomfort, and daily business can all keep us staying home. Or sometimes it\u2019s other human things that distract us \u2013 local church politics, personal struggles, misgivings or hurts. There\u2019s a part of us that knows it would be easier to stay at home, with our own personal prayers and thoughts, our own way of doing things.<\/p>\n

But isn\u2019t there a part of us too, that always yearns to connect to the other? And not just one other \u201cother,\u201d but something beyond even two \u2013 something great, something greater! There is something real and great in the human soul that longs for more.<\/em> Not more meetings, not more busyness, not more money, but more life<\/em>, and a greater expansiveness of life.<\/em><\/p>\n

And I don\u2019t mean that \u2018becoming a part of something\u2019 that ends up in \u201cgroup-think.\u201d We can unconsciously follows fads or social pressure and be emotionally swept up into the thoughts of any group, but this \u201cbecoming a part of\u201d ultimately comes from reacting to those around us, and not from a clear decision of the will that was contemplated in the heart. Thus end result of a such a joining together is not a community, but a mob.<\/p>\n

As a wise friend of mine says, \u201cYou have to have a self in order to give it.\u201d In other words, becoming a part of something greater than ourselves<\/em> means responding in discernment to the movements of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It means fully taking up our responsibility to follow those longings of the heart, instead of hiding at home or in the group think of the crowd. Because God did<\/em> create us with that yearning for more of life<\/em>, to lead us beyond ourselves, in relationship with each other into His great heart. That\u2019s community, and communion with Him.<\/p>\n

And that is \u201cwhat\u201d the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt is all about. Transformative and transforming community, right here in the heart of Texas, in the heart of Austin, in the heart of Church.<\/em><\/p>\n

And to turn it on it\u2019s head, we can say in a way that the yearning for more of life<\/em> isn\u2019t about us <\/em>wanting more from life<\/em>, but slowly coming to the realization that life <\/em>is waiting for us to answer back. The yearning doesn\u2019t originate only in us, but is in dialogue with the Author of Life who is posing the questions.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s becoming aware of this existential weight of our responsibility for own lives; God is waiting for our response.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible\u201d \u2013 V. Frankl, Man\u2019s Search for Meaning<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Something transformative and beautiful is happening in Austin, and all around the world<\/a>. And we\u2019re invited to become a part of it, a part of something greater than ourselves. What will our response be?<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8848\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bishop Mass Invitation\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a little less than 2 weeks, on October 11, Bishop Joe Vasquez will celebrate Mass at the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, in honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Schoenstatt, and to give thanks for the first year anniversary of the Shrine. What might inspire us to go? What might… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,565,90,89,92,91],"tags":[2479,660,183,509,2958,2138,101,1505,2498,1973,2957],"class_list":["post-152263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","category-events-blog","category-faith-blog","category-family","category-news","category-young-adult","tag-austin-shrine","tag-diocese-of-austin","tag-discernment","tag-events","tag-faith-life","tag-marian-spirituality","tag-mary","tag-pope-francis","tag-prayer-life","tag-schoenstatt","tag-viktor-frankl","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44821,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/03\/groundbreaking-first-marian-shrine-austin\/","url_meta":{"origin":152263,"position":0},"title":"Groundbreaking of the First Marian Shrine in Austin","author":"Rachel","date":"March 18, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Making Austin History: Last Sunday, atop a small hill in Bee Caves, beneath grey skies and cold winds, history was made. It was the ground breaking of the first Marian Shrine in the Diocese of Austin. Approximately 300 people from across the Diocese and across Texas participated in the mass\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"wayside image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/IMG_2846-224x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18235,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/06\/building-the-first-marian-shrine-in-the-diocese-of-austin\/","url_meta":{"origin":152263,"position":1},"title":"Building the First Marian Shrine in the Diocese of Austin","author":"Rachel","date":"June 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It's true! Currently, there is a substantial effort underway to build a Shrine for the Blessed Mother Mary in the Diocese of Austin - where as of now, there is no Marian Shrine or Marian place of pilgrimage. This Shrine will be a gift to the Blessed Mother, and to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/DSCN2835-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41558,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/09\/msgr-mike-sis-speak-gala-benefit-first-marian-shrine-diocese\/","url_meta":{"origin":152263,"position":2},"title":"Msgr Mike Sis to speak at Gala to benefit first Marian Shrine in Diocese","author":"Rachel","date":"September 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Do you want to be a part of building the first Marian Shrine in the Diocese of Austin? Monsignor Mike Sis will be speaking in two weeks at\u00a0the second annual Seeds of Grace Gala. The Gala is hosted by the Schoenstatt Movement of Austin, which is the local branch\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mary for Shrine","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/1170731_546633602057853_1998080140_n-525x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":51641,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/09\/austin-will-marian-shrine-tomorrow\/","url_meta":{"origin":152263,"position":3},"title":"Austin will have a Marian Shrine \u2013 Tomorrow!","author":"Rachel","date":"September 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s really happening \u2013 tomorrow, Bishop Joe Vasquez will dedicate the first Marian Shrine in the Diocese of Austin! And you\u2019re invited to come! 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The land is empty and yet not quiet. Mulch covers large patches where grass will need to be planted. Bricklayers come each morning and work on finishing the main walkway. You can usually see the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bethlehem, Cradle of Sanctity Shrine. 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