Calendar
of Events
Sept. 11, 2002
Secretariat Meeting 7:00pm at St. Joseph Church, York, NE
Sept. 12-15, 2002
Men’s Weekend St. Michael School, Hastings, NE
Sept. 15, 2002
Closing for Men’s Weekend 5:00pm at St. Michael Church.
Sept. 19-22, 2002
Women’s Weekend St. Michael School, Hastings, NE
Sept. 22, 2002
Closing for Women’s Weekend 5:00pm at St. Michael Church.
Oct. 4-6, 2002
Cursillo Regional Meeting at St. Mary School, David City, NE
Oct. 2 and 8, 2002
School of Leaders – First Meeting (Two Locations to be announced)
Oct. 26, 2002
Postcursillo Reunion for September Weekends – (time/location TBA)
Palanca and Palanca Letters REVISITED ... Formation continues ...
School of Leaders ... On July 26-27,
2002, a ‘practicum’ of the School of Leaders (SOL) was held at St. Joseph
in York. The word ‘practicum’ means “a course of study designed especially
for the preparation of teachers and clinicians that involves the supervised
practical application of previously studied theory” ... it seems appropriate
here.
The weekend began with Mass, reflection, night prayer,
and Confession on Friday night (the ‘retreat phase’) to allow time to pull
away from the stress of the week and put on the mind of Christ. Saturday
morning began with morning prayer, Mass, and breakfast, with the practicum
phase beginning immediately after breakfast.
The purpose of this practicum was to experience
the format, method, application, and work of the SOL. Three sessions
of the SOL were held focusing on the three sections of Cursillo: Precursillo,
the Three Days, and Postcursillo. For each session, a typical SOL
format was followed: the Leaders’ Prayer; Leaders’ Group Reunion (small
group sharing of 3 or 4); doctrinal talk (given by Fr. Seiker, each talk
tied to one of the three sections); technique talk (given by the corresponding
Chair of each section (Precursillo: Tom Schik, Three Day: Ron Sladky, Postcursillo:
Joan Junkin)); large group table discussion with targeted questions and
a report back to the entire group; and concluding prayer. The talks
and discussions were very beneficial in generating awareness and ideas
in each of the three sections of Cursillo in our Diocese.
Having experienced three sessions of the SOL in
the one-day practicum, the next step is to begin regular meetings of the
SOL. The first session will be in October (there are team
formation meetings in August for the September weekends, and in September
we have the Three Day weekends and planning for the Regional meeting).
We propose covering one topic each month offered in two different locations.
One session would be held on the first Wednesday of the month in an eastern
location of the Diocese (e.g., Lincoln area), and another session would
be held on the second Tuesday of the month in a central/western location
of the Diocese (e.g., Hastings area). Since both sessions will cover
the same topic(s), persons could attend the SOL at either location depending
on their schedules. We are trying to make the SOL accessible to anyone
who wishes to be involved. There may be months when a SOL is not
scheduled; those attending will be notified.
De Colores! John
Springer (SOL Chair)
Living the 4th Day ... The life
we live is an instance in the passing of all eternity. What an opportunity
the Father has given us to not only live for Him, but to live life in the
fullness of happiness, making our very lives a burnt holocaust ... offered
back to Him!
It was four years ago that I lived my Cursillo weekend
in David City and began my “4th Day”. At the time, I was discerning
what God wanted me to do with my life. During the course of those
three days, with much prayer and the example of surrender from the men
on that weekend, I knew it was time to trust God with all of my life.
I felt that God was calling me to serve Him in a way more radical and reckless
than I could have ever imagined. I tried the summer seminary program,
but that wasn’t it. However, the experience did serve as a means
to test my surrender.
In the spring of 2001, I interviewed with a new
Catholic program called FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.
The mission of FOCUS is to bring the wonderful fullness of the Gospel to
college students. It has been said: “The leaders of tomorrow are
in the classrooms of today.” FOCUS challenges students to live a
life dedicated to sobriety, chastity and excellence. We take students
and train them so they can be the best doctors, lawyers, priests, religious,
moms or dads that they can be.
FOCUS is beginning its 5th year of service and will
be on 11 campuses throughout the United States. We recently finished
summer training, with 50 of us being sent out to serve as missionaries
for these campuses. I just completed my first year at the University
of Northern Colorado (Greeley) and have been reassigned there for the next
academic year.
FOCUS and its missionaries will continue to be successful
only through the support of families, friends and leaders in the community
who recognize the great need that exists on college campuses. FOCUS
missionaries are responsible for raising 100% of their financial support
to cover living and ministry expenses. I am looking for 50 people
who would be interested in donating $30 per month to help support me (one-time
gifts are also appreciated). These donations are 100% tax-deductible
and will go solely towards my missionary efforts.
If you are interested, please send donations to:
FOCUS, P. O. Box 1210, Greeley, CO 80634 (and reference my missionary
ID number, 9760, on your check). You can also contact me via email,
with questions or just to chat: ajybarra@hotmail.com
If Cursillo has taught me anything, it is that the
Lord won’t be outdone in generosity. Please pray for me that as I
travel through my 4th Day, I will continue to be generous with Him and
for Him.
De Colores! Be Blessed ...
Adam Ybarra
From the Spiritual Advisor
In John’s Gospel (Jn 14:6), Jesus says: “I am the
way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through
me.” As cursillistas, we have heard and learned that the Way might
be spoken of as Evangelization or service. The Truth might be spoken
of as Formation or knowing the Lord. The Life might be spoken of
as Holiness or loving God. Those three legs of the Tripod are necessary
in our Christian life as cursillistas. Our lives must involve holiness,
formation, and evangelization. Those three legs are a part of our
ongoing conversion.
If we want to be followers of Jesus Christ, we must
be involved in conversion. If we want to be cursillistas, we must
be involved in conversion. Many of us experienced a conversion experience
on our three day weekend. Hopefully that was only the beginning of
our conversion experience. Fr. Benedict Groeschel talks about daily
conversion. As he has traveled over the world and spoken to holy
men and women, he often asks them: “Are you still being converted?”
Their response is always: “Yes, daily!” St. Paul tells us: “obedient
as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now
when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil
2:12) St. Paul tells us that we must not conform ourselves to this
age but be transformed by the renewal of our minds. That is conversion.
The Lord wants our conversion. He wants us
to be formed in His image and likeness. He wants us to let Him work
through us. He wants to lead us. He leads us through others.
He leads us through the Cursillo Movement. We cannot lead Christ
or tell Him the way to go. We cannot tell the Church or the Cursillo
Movement the way to go. St. Peter tried to tell Jesus not to go to
Jerusalem to suffer and die. Jesus reminded Peter that He must suffer
and die. Jesus told Peter: “Remember that Satan has asked for you,
to sift you all like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith
may never fail. You in turn must strengthen your brothers.”
(Lk 22: 31-32)
Only after following the Lord, who is the way, the
truth, and the life, and being daily involved in conversion, can we lead
others. To lead, we must follow. We must be open to the Lord,
to the Church, to our Holy Father, to our Bishop, and to the Leaders in
the Cursillo Movement. Our prayer must be that we are open to the
Lord and to His ways and His will for us, each day of our life.
St. Catherine of Siena said in a prayer to the Lord:“[Lord,
]You are eternal infinite goodness. No one can fully know or understand
You except as You grant that knowledge, and You grant us as much as we
open the vessel of our soul to receive.” Listen again to those words:
“The Lord grants us as much as we open the vessel of our soul to receive.”
We must say Yes to the Lord. We must be willing to be converted by
Him each day of our lives. In the Christian Life, we can not really
say: “Been there, Done That!”, as if our conversion is a once for all experience.
One spiritual author said: “Just when I think I have mastered my bad habits
and cleansed my old ways, I can find myself repeating them again.
It would be easy to et discouraged with this process if it were not for
the truth of God’s mercy and forgiveness. With God’s grace I know
I always have another chance to ‘wash myself clean.’” The Lord calls
us to continually, daily, be converted. We must be willing to die
to ourselves, to selfishness, to sin, to our wills, to the ways we have
always done things before, and allow His life to be born again in us through
the graces of the Sacraments.
Even the personal experience I related to you at
the beginning of this reflection, must be lived new each day by me and
by you. I must be converted and you must be converted. Each
of us is called to Holiness (to live His life not our own), to Formation
(to His truth, not ours and not the world’s), and to Evangelization (to
His way and in His service, not in our own service). Another spiritual
author said: “If we are having difficulty with how we are
serving others, then perhaps we have forgotten why we are
serving them. At the core of our why there has to be
love. No other reason will do.”
De Colores! Father
Mark Seiker
Region VI Meeting ... The Fall Region VI meeting is Oct. 4-6, 2002, at St. Mary School, David City, NE. We need volunteers to help with set up, meal preparation and serving, and clean up. We encourage you to attend the Regional meeting. The topics being discussed are: School of Leaders; Sponsorship; and Spirituality of a Leader. These topics are particularly applicable to the ongoing discussions in our Diocese. Plan to attend the Regional meeting and deepen your knowledge of the Cursillo Movement ... experience the larger Cursillo Community. It doesn’t get any closer than this!
From the Lay Director
For some time now, I’ve been praying about what
it is I should say. I’ve known that I need to talk about “change”
and the difficulties associated with making changes, but I wasn’t sure
what to say or how to say it. As I prayed/thought about it, two recurring
themes seemed to emerge – trusting God and the idea of the Refiner’s fire/His
pruning us (ouch!). Change is seldom easy … and it often hurts …
but we have to trust that He does it for our own good …
Just before sitting down to write this, I came from
a visit with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament … it was during the 3:00
o’clock hour … the hour of mercy. On the way to Church, I listened
to a song entitled, “Trust in Me,” by Donna Cori Gibson. The refrain
to the song says, “Trust in Me … I’m Jesus … Trust in Me … I died for
you … My Heart is tender and broken … My arms are ready and open
… Believe in Me … it’s Jesus … Believe in Me … I’m calling … calling you
… And I’m waiting to give you everything you ask … Everything you ask Me
to.” The song has a very strong Eucharistic theme – most appropriate
for preparing to listen as I sat with Him … I was already thinking about
trust …
Since it was the hour of mercy, I began by praying
the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. As I prayed, the words “Jesus, I trust
in You” on the Divine Mercy banner seemed to be more in the form of a question
than a statement of faith. Did I trust Him? I DO! … Even in
all of the change … actually, I see His hand in it … I trust implicitly
in His graces and the marvelous ways He uses them to change hearts and
lives …
We don’t always understand the things that God asks
or the challenges He gifts us with. I think of St. Pio (Padre Pio),
who has been a good “friend” in my life. He had lots of challenges
in his life, but he accepted them graciously and in an attitude of prayer.
Because our Holy Father announced that the feast day of St. Pio will be
celebrated on September 23, the first Fourth Day for the women living the
September Weekend, I asked the team to join me in asking for his intercession.
As I prayed in Church today, my thoughts turned to him and I prayed a prayer
he wrote: “O Lord, we ask for a boundless confidence and trust in Your
divine mercy, and the courage to accept the crosses and sufferings which
bring immense goodness to our
souls and that of Your Church. Help us to love You with a
pure and contrite heart, and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross, as
we climb the mountain of holiness, carrying our cross that leads to heavenly
glory. May we receive You with great faith and love in Holy Communion,
and allow You to act in us as You desire for Your greater glory.
O Jesus, most adorable Heart and eternal fountain of Divine Love, may our
prayer find favor before the Divine Majesty of Your heavenly Father.
Amen.” He, too, is asking for confidence and trust in Our Lord’s
divine mercy … for courage to accept that which is hard for us … for an
attitude of openness/humility in asking Him to act in us …
When I headed to Church today, I took many intentions
with me, acceptance of change being only one of them. I left ALL
of them at the foot of the cross … I DO trust in Him … Just before
leaving, I prayed the “Prayer of the Cursillista” (pg. 61 of the Pilgrim’s
Guide) and I ask you to join me in praying that prayer now: “Lord,
help us to use our time, our talents, our lives for the building up of
Your Kingdom. Instill courage into our initiatives, good judgment
in our choice of the proper means, and that determination which assures
success even in times of seeming failures. Move us above all discourtesy,
sensitivities and rivalries, which not only discourage and divide us, but
lead us away from loving You and each other. Help each one strive
for the gift of Your unselfish love that will embold us to prefer the more
humble tasks and rejoice in the good done by others. Lord, let all
see Your attractive goodness marked on all our faces, Your warm accents
in all our works and in our community, a unity and a holiness that proclaims
Your living presence in our midst. Amen. Our Lady of Guadalupe,
Patron of the Americas. Pray for us! St. Paul, Patron of Cursillo.
Pray for us.”
I firmly believe that God is good …. all the time
… and holy is His name!” JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!!
De Colores!! Kathy
Springer, Lay Director
Sponsors, Sponsors, Sponsors!!
During the National Cursillo Encounter this past
July, a synod approach was used to provide input for National to disseminate
to all dioceses about how to strengthen the Cursillo Movement in each diocese.
During the session entitled, “Integrating New Cursillistas,” one of the
priests told of his father’s having been a realtor and stressing that real
estate was all about “location … location … location” … he made the analogy
that the task of integrating new cursillistas into the Fourth Day is all
about “sponsors … sponsors … sponsors.” With the September Cursillo
Weekends fast approaching, it seems appropriate to refresh ourselves in
regard to the responsibilities of sponsoring a candidate to the Cursillo
Weekend. The following quotes from the Cursillo Movement’s Sponsor’s
Booklet is intended to provide a little better understanding of
exactly what the sponsor’s role is intended to be:
"The purpose of sponsoring is to bring about
a change in the environments. You should have a plan on how you are
going to do this. Part of your plan would include identifying those
individuals that have the talents to bring about the change – bring Jesus
Christ into their environments.
“So sponsoring is not a haphazard circumstance.
It should be a deliberate act to bring Jesus Christ into the world.
Therefore, you should know your candidates very well. If they are
married, you should know their spouse as well. Your candidates will
become the agents for change in their families, work situations, neighborhoods,
social gatherings, etc. Your candidates will become part of the Christian
community that links together with others to bring Jesus Christ to the
world. This is the purpose of sponsoring!” ...
Sponsor’s Role Before the Weekend
Sponsor’s Role During the Weekend
Sponsor’s Role After the Weekend
Conclusion
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