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~ Welcome to the website of the Our Lady of Hanswijk Procession |
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The procession of Hanswijk in Malines, a "
beautiful Profession of Faith" on Sunday, May 9th, 2010 "I believe that
…" Somehow, we say that every day. But we have to make the difference
between to believe and to believe! We often act very simply on the evidence
of: we accept something without knowing all the ins and outs. We rely on facts
the others tell us. But when a Christian says "I believe ", it does mean much more. It is not only a
question of accepting what somebody else says, but more believing in
somebody. It is entering in a relation of personal trust in God, confiding
completely in Him, loving Him and listening to Him. Our God is indeed a God
who speaks: by words, acts, events and above all by his Son Jesus. Our faith
is an answer to God who speaks to us. But God is always the first one to
speak. The origin and the spring of any faith are thus in God's meeting in His
Word. But faith also has some content. It is not only lived and celebrated,
it is also explained by words which proclaim it. From there the importance of
knowing better the contents of faith and rediscovering its beauty. We often discern the Apostles’
Creed - our profession of faith - as an abstract set of truths, rather curt
and concentrated and thus little attractive. From there, the concern of our
bishops to make the beauty of faith better known. The procession of Hanswijk
can contribute in this effort to that aim. Indeed what we proclaim in the Apostles’
Creed, the procession shows it in images. The procession is in fact a profession
of faith in words and in images.
"I believe in God, The
Almighty Father" … We discover God's omnipotence in his love. The People
of Israel experienced it when God delivered them from the slavery in Egypt
and led them into the land of Canaan. But God loved us so much that he wished
to become closer to us and to come among us. It is therefore that He became a
man in his Son Jesus, a little child in a crib. The Almighty God made thus Himself
so quite small. We are so used to the incredible that it does not surprise us
even any more. God who gives life to everything, thus received life from a
girl, Marie herself, virgin and mother. Jesus is indeed a free gift of God,
not the fruit of people but the fruit of the Holy Spirit. God so entered our History,
a story marked by our sin. "And in Jesus
Christ, his unique Son… "God became a man and crossed all the stages of
human life, from birth to death. Certainly, during his first thirty years of
his life were rather discreet; but then, by his preaching, the cures which He
carried out, his signs and
miracles, Jesus revealed completely He really was a God: a Father full of
love and mercy who wants to save us for all eternity from the power of sin
and death. It is for that reason that Jesus walked freely towards His death.
He crossed the suffering and the violence of death on the cross that we had
caused Him. But He overcame death. His resurrection is the victory on death
as it is. And so He saved us.
" I believe in the
apostolic Church … " If we understand the deep meaning of these events,
we only can praise God, to return thank Him and answer his appeal: “Go into all the world and preach the
good news to all creation.” . (Mc.16,15). It is
what the Apostles and a lot of Christians before us did, and it is what we do
even today, and finally what others will do after us. Every man indeed, whatever
the moment of his birth, is called by God to start on his way and arrive
finally in the Father’s home. It is the eternal blessing we are unconsciously
aiming at, it is the real blessing God intended for us. The procession of
Hanswijk shows us all this every time it passes through the streets of
Malines: the liberation of the Jews of the slavery in Egypt, the crossing of
Red Sea, the gift of the Law on the mount Sinaï. The wonderful birth of
Jesus, the Presentation in the Temple and finding again of Jesus in the
Temple. The beginning of his public life with the wedding in Cana, his preaching
and the supernatural signs which accompany him, his attention on children, his
prayer to his Father. His passion and his death but also his resurrection … All this is not the
ancient history, it happens even
today under our eyes, every time we walk in procession " Let us go to the house of the LORD " (Ps 122), to the basilica of Hanswijk, walking
with the Blessed Sacrament.
Throughout our daily
life, God is walking on our side, here and now. It was also the case
formerly, throughout the History of our regions: at the time of the evangelisation
of parts of our country by saint
Rombaut, the arrival of Maria's statue in Hanswijk, during the prosperous
period of Dukes de Burgundy and Hapsburgs in the time of the Archdukes Albert
and Isabelle … So many signs and events which, throughout the centuries,
speak to us about God's concern for people there where they really live. Two thousand participants
and co-workers warmly invite each of us to come on Sunday, May 9th, 2010 to
Malines. You will discover a brilliant performance there: beautiful
historical costumes, dances to make you giddy, music and interpellating words. You will be moved by
certain biblical stages, affected by the strong word of the prophets, by the
joy of the announcement of the Gospels. Come
and See! And if you want to
participate some more, then do not hesitate to join in by following The Blessed Sacrament into
the Basilica of Hanswijk to take part in the brief but poignant final
celebration of thanksgiving to God and gratitude between to Maria! Come, see and take part in this
celebration!
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