“God accepts us unconditionally”: Father Anselm Grün celebrates Mass in the Lenggries parish church
Created: 05/15/2022, 08:00
Benedictine Father Anselm Grün spoke on the subject of "Communicating the faith today".
© Botzenhart
On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the parish church of St. Jakob, the Benedictine Father Anselm Grün was a guest in Lenggries.
Among other things, he spoke about the fear of missing something.
Lenggries – Pope Francis has been giving away his books for a long time: we are talking about Benedictine Father Anselm Grün.
He was a guest in Lenggries for the 300th anniversary of the parish church of St. Jakob.
He celebrated a mass with many believers, after which he spoke on the topic "Communicating the faith today".
Church must not teach, but must listen to people's longings
“People prayed here and brought their worries and needs to God 300 years ago,” Grün began.
"When we come here, we stand in the tradition of these believers." Today's church must not teach people, but must listen to their longings.
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Many seek the advice of the Benedictine Father
Grün gives comfort with his words and brings those seeking help on new paths in his seminars.
Parents and managers alike seek his advice.
But green doesn't sell.
Notker Wolf, abbot primate emeritus of the Benedictine Congregation, said of his fellow brother: "His books have print runs in the millions, he could be very rich, but he doesn't need 50 euros in cash a month for himself."
“God accepts us unconditionally”
The listeners in St. Jakob experienced exactly this authentic religious.
His charisma was convincing, he did not proselytize with a loud voice.
His message penetrated deep into the psyche.
"God accepts us unconditionally," said Grün in his calm manner. He named seven longings: identity, freedom, trust, health, meaning, cohesion and the longing for something sacred.
The Christian message conveys change: to become the person "that I am", according to the Benedictine.
In the service, the real world is opposed to another reality that also exists: God accepts everyone as they are.
Central statement of the lecture: "Who am I?"
During the lecture, Grün kept coming back to this central statement.
"Who am I?" Many young people would ask themselves, especially after the lockdowns, he reported.
Not only they, but also adults are afraid of missing something - experiences or information.
"But I'm only really free when I'm simple, without pressure and expectations," he explained.
Meaning can also arise from illness
Health is an important issue these days.
"But some are so concerned with it that it makes them ill," the Father experienced.
"It is an illusion to believe that health can be guaranteed," he said.
The cross means accepting sickness.
Meaning can also arise from illness.
"Hildegard von Bingen put it like this: making beads out of wounds," quoted Grün.
In everyday life, rituals could heal.
Grün experienced that the mother's anointing of the sick finally enabled the family to express feelings.
Finally, Grün spoke a 1600-year-old prayer with everyone, which conveyed peace and security in a completely timeless manner.
By Birgit Botzenhart
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