CURSILLISTAS
21st Century Disciples
I
lived my Cursillo weekend in the spring of 2012.
Cursillo is a Spanish word meaning "short course"... it is a
short course in Christianity. It's
different from a retreat, in that the aim is to teach you that your Catholic
Christian faith goes beyond the three-day weekend.
The "Fourth Day" is a way of life, for the rest of your life.
Those of us who participate in a Cursillo weekend are known as Cursillistas.
There
are a series of talks throughout the weekend that build upon each other.
They're intended to get you to thinking about your purpose in life, and
hopefully, to consider whether you're serving Christ to the best of your
ability.
There is a strong camaraderie among the team members.
They welcome the candidates, embrace them as sisters or brothers (men and women
participate in separate weekends), and form lifelong bonds that with God's
blessing, can never be broken. Two
weeks after the weekend, we all get together for a joyous Group Reunion.
And we have opportunities to reconnect at least once a month in Small
Group reunions or Ultreyas, where we share our faith journey... our commitment
to Christ through our Piety, Study and Action.
In
the words of St. Augustine: "Lord Jesus, let me know MYSELF and know YOU".
In knowing God and ourselves, we come to learn that our lives have
purpose and meaning. But we don't
have to do it all alone. We are
guided by His Word (the Bible) and by the Trinity.
To know God in totality is to know the Blessed Trinity... Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. Many of us pray to
God and to Jesus all the time. But
how many of us know that we can also pray TO THE SPIRIT?
During
my Cursillo weekend, I was surprised and pleased to learn that I can pray
directly TO the Holy Spirit. I never
realized this before... the Spirit to me was as vague and invisible as the wind.
This revelation opened up new possibilities to me, and over time, I've
come to cultivate and develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit, seeking his
presence, wisdom, and gifts.
There
are many people who think the Holy Spirit revealed himself just a handful of
times throughout time, and that was more than 2,000 years ago.
But that's just not true! The
Holy Spirit is NOT an ancient allegory, but is present TODAY in God's chosen
people. The Holy Spirit was sent
then, and now, as our Advocate, Counselor, and Paraclete.
"When
the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth... He will
glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you."
(John 16:13-14)
Before
Cursillo, I spent a lot of time in daily prayer (Piety) and meditating on
Scriptures (Study). As I began my
Fourth Day, I thought about HOW God was calling me to serve Him (Action).
My circumstances prompted me to "think small", so I thought a
good way to begin was by visiting the elderly in a nearby nursing home.
I'd always been very shy and introverted, more comfortable in one-on-one
conversations. But I think God had
something else in mind for me. Because
I don't know what happened to that introvert.
She doesn't exist anymore! Or
perhaps it's just that my faith is a subject I'm so passionate about.
My witness on the power of His Saving Grace is more than just
third-person knowledge; it is very personal to me.
So when I was given the opportunity to participate on team during a
Cursillo weekend, I jumped at the chance to facilitate and then to give Rollos
(the Talks).
This
metanoia (transformation) was made possible by the Holy Spirit.
I've felt the Amazing Presence of the Holy Spirit.
During a dark time in my life when things seemed hopeless, suddenly I was
blessed with a feeling of utter calm and the certainty that God was with me and
that everything was going to be all right. I've
also felt the Spirit within me on the joyful occasions of being in the presence
of the Lord. Affirming for me that
He keeps His promises. And while praying in the chapel for the candidates and
team during a men's weekend, I was (coincidentally) reading a book called
"Prayers to the Holy Spirit" by Bert Ghezzi. I was startled and
delighted to read that the author participated in a Cursillo weekend in December
1963. "The event was revelatory
for me," he wrote, "and I have never been the same since".
How awesome and fortifying that as I was praying, I stumbled upon a man
praying to the Holy Spirit, a man who lived a Cursillo weekend more than fifty
years earlier! How powerful are our
prayers to the Holy Spirit!
"In
your hearts reverence Christ as Lord... Always be prepared to make a defense to
anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you."
(1 Peter 3:14-15)
As
Cursillistas living our Fourth Day, we take these words to heart.
For this is our goal as Catholic Christians. To evangelize; to follow the
will of God for our lives (not our own). To
seek His glory (not our own). After
all, think of all the blessings we have received through Him.
Think of all the hurts He healed. The
promises He kept. And so, He wants
us to share this Good News with others!
For
"How
can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, 'How beautiful
are the feet of those who bring the Good News.'
" (Romans 10:14-15)
If
you think it's too hard or you wouldn't know what to say, Jesus assures us that
we can do it:
"Do
not be anxious about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you
are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but
the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."
(Matthew 10:19-20)
A
while back, when I had the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in my home, someone
said that she didn't understand why we pray to Mary; why not just pray to God
directly? I told her, we don't pray
TO Mary, but we ask her to intercede to her son on our behalf.
I said to her, "You ask me to pray for you all the time.
Why don't you just pray directly?" and she said, "Your prayers
are more powerful than mine". Well,
the Holy Spirit jumped right in because without even thinking I said, "Then
just think how much more powerful HER prayers are than mine!"
To
be an effective witness, I need to know what I'm talking about.
I need to immerse myself in the Scriptures, learn about salvation
history, study the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and become familiar with
apologetics in order to know how to respond to the FAQs from non-Christians or
fallen-away Catholics. Jesus Christ
Himself quoted the Old Testament often. He used Scriptures to battle the devil
(Deuteronomy 6 and 8, Psalm 91). He
quoted Psalm 22 as he suffered upon the cross.
We can also call upon our knowledge of Scripture to comfort those who
struggle by sharing God's message of love and salvation or to refute Satan's
influence on their hardened hearts.
"Today
this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
(Luke 4:21) Jesus quoted Isaiah
61:1, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
preach Good News to the poor".
Likewise,
"The
Spirit of the Lord is upon US, because WE have been anointed to preach the Good
News to all".
We
all know people who don't have faith in Jesus. We must pray daily for the Holy
Spirit to grant us wisdom to recognize the opportunities that abound, if we only
pay attention. I recommend Saint Augustine's Prayer to the Holy Spirit
plus the Prayer for the Seven
Gifts.
These
opportunities increase when we ourselves live a life of faith. We show others by our
own example. When our family members, friends, coworkers, and so on, see the joy
that radiates from within us; when they hear us speak loving praise and
thanksgiving to God; they will naturally gravitate toward us. When the questions
begin, be ready! When my coworkers come to me with questions, I notice that
everyone else around us seem to stop and quietly listen. So we may even be
unaware of the far-reaching effects of our powerful witness... I was off of work
one day and two of my coworkers called me with a question. I answered the
question and this began a dialogue at my kitchen table with a non-believer!
"Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the
end of the age."
(Matthew 28:19-20)
De
Colores!!!
Cursillo
is a worldwide lay movement that began in Mallorca, Spain more than 70
years ago. Visit the National Cursillo web site for more info https://www.natl-cursillo.org/pdf/articles/english/laymovement.pdf
or check with your local diocese to learn more about Cursillo in
your area.
Feel
free to contact me if you have any questions! |
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