The story of our home shrine under the title of Childlike Acceptance began with the purchase of our first home in Corpus Christi in 1986. We married that same year. Both of us were members of the Schoenstatt Movement prior to our marriage so it was very natural to invite the MTA into our new home as newlyweds. The main desire was to always be faithful in our marital commitment and faithfulness to our Church.
In 1987 and 1989 we welcomed our first two children, Anna and Philip respectively. In between Anna and Philip, we experienced a miscarriage that deeply saddened us but through prayer and belief that our MTA takes perfect care, we were soon blessed with our son Philip. Our home shrine was an integral part of our lives especially during the times when our children were little. One experience that we will never forget is when our oldest daughter Anna contracted a very unusual autoimmune blood illness that almost took her life in 1990. It was on a Saturday night in the hospital that together our family, Schoenstatt couple’s group, and Schoenstatt Sisters and Fathers all connected through the Confidentia Shrine, home shrines, and heart shrines that Anna pulled through. The path to full recovery took about six months and during this time our home shrine became the place where our worries, joys, successes, and setbacks were placed daily in our MTA’s care. We asked especially for Father Kentenich’s prayers to help in healing our little Anna and also to protect Christel as we were at the same time expecting our third child. It’s in this way that we realized how important it is to have that special little place in our home where we experience our Mother Thrice Admirable’s motherly love and care for us!
Our home shrine has moved a few times since our first home in Corpus Christi. We were blessed now with four children (Anna, Philip, Clara, and Magdalena) and of the joys and challenges that come with raising a family. We formally dedicated our shrine in May 1993 in Corpus Christi, TX. We invited the Blessed Mother to help us understand God’s will that eventually led to a move to central Texas. We chose “Childlike Acceptance” as our home shrine’s mission because like the Father and Founder of Schoenstatt we wanted to always remain open to what God has in store for us in our life together. This also led to temporary moves to China and Germany.
Just like the Original and Daughter Shrines, the home shrine is where the Blessed Mother takes care that we always remain faithful to marriage and family. As with many families there are so many instances we can recall where the MTA led us to feel the love of her Son and to understand God’s will for us. Whether we experience issues related to health, financial struggles, job, faith crises, or raising teenagers – for examples – we learned to trust in a childlike way to accept the challenges that present themselves in life, but always knowing that we can expect the graces needed to endure and overcome these. Our home shrine has been and continues to be an important part of our home!
Servus Mariae nunquam peribit! Christel and Ruben Montez, Apostolic Family Federation, TX
