It has been five months since we have been living this new normal. Times are tough financially, socially, and emotionally. But the one thing that has kept me pushing forward is my faith. I admit that I am not a very religious person. I don't pray the rosary every night as some do nor do I constantly attend bible studies. However, I try to go to church every Sunday but because of the real-world situation, I only watch the live stream of the mass.
However, last Saturday (August 15, 2020), we were able to visit the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Schoenstatt in Austin, Texas.
Schoenstatt means "beautiful place" in German. The shrine is located on a mountain overlooking beautiful scenery. But the tranquility of the place is what makes this truly beautiful.
My friends and I were the first ones to arrive, so, we were all able to pray inside the shrine. They only allow a limited number of people because the place is small and because of the pandemic.
We were only supposed to attend the rosary that morning but we learned that they will be having a mass at 7 pm so we decided to grab lunch first and go to the nearby mall then come back for the mass.
It was a beautiful day indeed. I got to spend time with friends I have not seen in a while and my soul enriched with Mother Mary's presence.
I pray every day that this pandemic would be over so we can finally visit family and friends who live far away and just enjoy every moment of our existence here on earth.
Have a good day y'all! 😊