Welcome New Fourth Dayers (Summer 2006, All Saints, Holdrege)
July 30, 2006: Ken Else, Bernard Matulka, and Gregg Wiedel
August 6,
2006: Pat Burkey, Kathy Burr, Pat Heinemann, LaTisha Jones, Sarah Morse,
Kathy Rowell, Maryann Spahni, Diana Tate, and Maria Wendland.
*** Welcome to
the 4th Day! *** As you returned to your environments (which were just
as you left them), have you found a Group Reunion? … Are you
participating in Ultreya? Just as during
the Three Days, it is in being a community and sharing about your attempts to
grow (in baby steps, at first) in holiness, formation, and evangelization
…Remember that Christ is counting
on you, and you said that you would count on Him … He gave you the gift of Cursillo to help you
… and He expects you to use it!!
News From the
Secretariat …
· Region VI Fall Encounter ... The Region VI Fall Encounter will be the weekend of Sept 29–Oct 1, 2006 in Fairmont, MN (it’s only 300 miles
from Lincoln to Fairmont … the registration form is included in this
Newsletter). The topic will be “School of Leaders” … plan now to be there!!
· School of Leaders (SOL) ... is another opportunity to form/share
community … the hallmark of Cursillo!!
It is where we continue to deepen our understanding of the Cursillo
Movement … together … ALL ARE INVITED! Being a part of SOL doesn’t obligate
you to do anything you don’t want to do … it’s not about
finding more people to give rollos on Weekends … it’s about doing
the Lord’s work through the vehicle (Method) of Cursillo …
it’s figuring out how we might best share the gift of Cursillo with
others … and the joy and peace that comes from doing that to which our
Lord calls us (our Lord is waiting for us to respond to His question:
“What did you do with the gifts I gave you?” … and how will
you respond?). The next SOL will be Sept.
15-16, 2006, at St. Ann Parish in Doniphan, NE (registration form included in
Newsletter). SOL normally begins on
Friday evening with a retreat phase (Mass, meditation, Confessions, and
food/fellowship); however, this SOL will begin with the Postcursillo Reunion (7
p.m. Mass … remember the Communion fast …) for the Summer Weekends
that were lived in Holdrege … ALL are invited to
participate.
· Precursillo … NOW is the appropriate time to
be preparing and inviting candidates …
You know how long (how much talking and praying) it takes to help
candidates get to “yes” when invited … help them get the dates
of the January Weekends put on their calendars NOW, and then continue to keep
in touch with them (personal contact … another hallmark of Cursillo) up
to the dates of the Weekends … Make a friend, Be a
friend, and Bring that friend to Christ!!!
********
Precursillo (thoughts from Chuck Micek, Precursillo Chairperson)
For August 4th, the Office of Readings of
the Liturgy of the Hours is “From the catechetical instructions by Saint
John Mary Vianney, priest”; it is subtitled “The glorious duty of
man: to pray and to love”. The reading states: “… the Christian’s treasure is not on earth but in
heaven. Our thoughts, then, ought to be
directed to where our treasure is. This
is the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, that is where a
man’s happiness lies.”
“Prayer is nothing else but union with
God. When one has a heart that is pure
and united with God, he is given a kind of serenity and sweetness that makes
him ecstatic, a light that surrounds him with marvelous brightness. In this intimate union, God and the soul are
fused together like two bits of wax that no one can ever pull apart … It
is a happiness beyond understanding.” WOW!
After finishing the reading, I began to think about
where my heart is. Am I missing
something? Have I noticed the light that
surrounds us while we are in union with God?
I think there are times when I am aware of these things happening in my
life. I cannot go without saying at the
same time that I sometimes read to God rather than pray to God. I need to slow down and be aware of
God’s time … pray and converse with God.
The Leaders’
Manual (p. 137) states: “Prayer has always been the strength
of the Cursillo. Since grace is an
absolute necessity in the re-Christianization of the world, no Cursillo should be
prepared or carried out without an appropriate spiritual task force (Palanca),
both individual and collective.”
“Palanca should never be seen as a tool
to assist the candidates. Palanca should
be seen as a tool to assist the Cursillo Movement.”
“For this reason, Palanca should be an
active part of the Precursillo. It is
important that the prayers and sacrifices, for the work being done to select
and penetrate possible environments, is continual.”
It’s obvious from both of these (the reading
from the Office of Readings and the Leaders’
Manual) that I must continue to pray … pray and ask God to help
us with our growth (both personal and communal) in the Cursillo Movement. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to be
caught up in secular things in our lives … we stop participating in Group
Reunion and Ultreya … we stop
growing in Holiness. That is not a good
thing … the answer is simply to begin again … May God bless your attempts to grow closer to
Him through prayer and help others do the same!
**************
· Three Day Weekends ...
Ø Upcoming
Cursillo Weekends …
U
Men’s
– January 11 - 14, 2007 (St.
Mary School,
David City, NE)
U Women’s – January 18-21, 2007 (St. Mary School, David City, NE)
Ø Because of
the increasing costs of Cursillo supplies [e.g., crucifixes, Pilgrim’s
Guides, booklets (such as “Cursillo
– What Is It?”, “Sponsor’s
Booklet”, “Let’s
Keep the Fourth Day Simple”), table supplies, etc.], the Secretariat voted
to increase to $15.00 the registration fee requested when an application is
submitted. The previous fee was
$10.00.
**************
Leadership (thoughts from Mark Pribyl, Three Day Cursillo Chairperson)
When we lived our Cursillo
Weekend, we were taught that we,
the laity, possess
the ability to be leaders … in our families, in our parishes, in our workplaces,
and in our communities. It is good
to keep in mind that there are many kinds of leaders … some lead
very boldly, while others lead in rather small or simple ways.
A few examples of leadership come to mind …
St. Paul boldly proclaimed the Good News by
his words. Of course, he had to first be
knocked down and blinded by God for a period of time before he was inspired to
do so … but if that’s what it takes, so be it.
St. Therese, the
Little Flower, is considered a tremendous leader for our time, even though few
in her lifetime recognized her as a leader (she has been declared as a doctor
of the Church, no less). Her simple
teaching that all we need to do to become saints is to do everything with great
love is now one of the most widespread doctrines we hear today. As an example of how to put this doctrine
into practice, if St. Therese was cleaning the house, she did it purely for
love of God … and He was pleased and greatly honored by that simple act
done with great love. Through her
teaching of doing all things with great love, she has led … and continues
to lead … many souls to Christ … who’d have thunk it!!
St. Louis de
Montfort, I understand, had a bit of a temper, and he wasn’t particularly
fond of, or patient with, people who interrupted his sermons. From time to time, he was known to persuasively
“encourage” (via his fists … not recommended of course!!)
those who were being disruptive to refrain from interrupting him. In one particular instance, at the conclusion
of a Mass during which some drunks in a nearby café were audibly mocking St. Louis with vulgar shouts and songs, St. Louis marched down the street and into
the café, and he promptly started a brawl … and not a little one at
that. After the incident, he never again
had problems with disruptive behavior in that town. An interesting example of leadership …
but probably one that shouldn’t be commonly imitated …
Our previous
Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, like St. Peter, was called by God to
lead the Church … and what a wonderful example of leadership his
was! He taught us how to strive for
peace as individuals and as nations … by loving God and others. His inspiring first words as Pope were,
“Be not afraid!” We should take to heart those words, and
always remember that we need not fear to lead in those places God put us
… just as Pope John Paul II did …
Leadership is
shown by those who consistently think of others … those
who give of themselves without counting the cost. Sometimes a leader is a peacemaker ...
sometimes a leader is one who simply listens, instead of arguing to ‘prove
his/her point’ … there are countless examples of what
‘leading’ entails. All of us
are leaders in one way or another … but no one of us can do everything
… however, each one of us CAN do something.
Inevitably, there
are times when we just want to give up.
There are also times when those who possess good leadership qualities
are stifled because of their tentative demeanor and/or their uncertainty about
how to proceed … they just can’t seem to make a decision about what
should be done. In addition, as leaders,
we may have observed poor leadership by others … those trying to lead us
astray … and we may even have followed … However, we must recognize all of these as
weaknesses or obstacles, and we must strive to overcome them through prayer and
by our sincere attempts at practicing virtue.
So, where is God calling you to be a
leader? Give leadership
a try … what have you got to lose?
Start In your home by pampering your spouse (or maybe just not being a
hindrance)? At work, try lending a
hand to your co-worker, even if you don't like him/her very much. How about giving up some of your time to
listen to a friend, or even invite
that friend to live a Cursillo? Someone
saw leadership potential in you and brought you to Cursillo to discover the
leadership to which you were/are called … did it make a difference in
your life?
It definitely made a difference in my life and my
family’s lives … God helped me (and continues to help me) discover
how and where He wants me to lead.
People that God placed in my life taught me to love … Cursillo taught me to lead! Take a chance in stepping out
as a leader … Columbus
took a chance … the Wright brothers took a chance … the Apostles
took a chance (when Jesus said, “Come follow me”). And the person(s) who invited you to
Cursillo took a chance, too (none of us likes to hear “no”). So, what do you say? Take a chance!! Make a friend, be a friend, and maybe
… just maybe … with
God’s help … YOU CAN BRING YOUR FRIEND JUST A LITTLE CLOSER TO CHRIST.
********************
·
Postcursillo ...
U The Hastings/Holdrege/Minden
Ultreya Center will have an Ultreya at All Saints’ parish hall
(Holdrege, NE) on Sunday, October 15th,
at 3:30 p.m., followed by a potluck supper. The Center will be selecting new
representatives to the Secretariat at that time. In addition, the group will decide when (day
and time) and where (location) the monthly Ultreyas will be held.
Ultreya (Onward!!) is a vital part
of persevering in the Fourth Day. What
can you do to help encourage fellow cursillistas to continue to live
lives of holiness(piety)/ formation(study)/action(evangelization), and how
might you benefit in the process?
U
Cursillo Mattress Covers … For health
reasons and to prolong the useful lives of our Cursillo mats/mattresses
(because they are very costly to replace), the decision was made to cover them
with a non-porous, liquid-resistant material.
The project is now complete with a final cost of $2,729.20 … we
continue to welcome donations from those who are financially able to help. Donations may be sent to: Mark Pribyl (Three Day Chair), P.O. Box 305, Dorchester,
NE 68343-0305 (phone 402-641-7199). Checks may be made out to Cursillo of Lincoln.
U The Lincoln
Diocese has agreed to host the Spring Region VI Encounter, hoping to begin
laying the groundwork for building a Spanish Cursillo Community in the
Diocese. We are open to suggestions
regarding location, and would welcome any and all help. The dates are April 27-29, 2007 … mark
your calendars now for this important event!!
From the Lay Director ...
This past weekend, one of my very best friends came to
Crete to visit me … to visit our family … When I lived my Cursillo Weekend in Columbia,
Missouri, more than ten years ago, she and I were candidates together ... in the
same family (St. Francis of Assisi). And
after the Three Day Weekend, as we entered the Fourth Day, we formed a Group
Reunion (along with another woman who was a candidate in our family … and
who also remains a good friend). Our
Group met faithfully on Wednesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. Because
of the deep friendship that had developed in a very short period of time, it
was particularly difficult when our family made the decision (actually, God
made the decision) to move to Nebraska
just slightly over a year after living our Weekends … leaving these
wonderful women was (for me) the hardest part of moving … by far! But God had a plan …
For several years, we kept in touch mostly via long
(very long) phone calls during which we shared our lives … especially our
spiritual lives … these calls were just a continuation of our Group
Reunion across the miles. We saw each
other several times a year, and with each meeting, we were always able to pick
up right where we’d left off … that’s because we had the same
Ideal … the same mission …
And it’s because of the Cursillo Movement … a Model of
friendship via personal contact … and that’s exactly what our
friendship was all about.
Over time, as God put both of us to work in His
vineyard (sometimes together … sometimes apart …) and as He kept us
increasingly busier, the phone conversations became a bit less frequent
(although still long when we finally connected), but the thoughts and prayers
continued on a daily basis … I knew that this friend had some special crosses
to carry and I knew that God was giving her important work to do in spite of
those crosses … and I was equally
aware that through her prayers and sacrifices (Palanca), she was (from a
distance) helping me carry my crosses and do the work He gave to me. There were the long emails in which we shared
lives … and on some days, it was a special gift to hear her voice on the
answering machine saying that she had called and that she was thinking about me
and that she loved me … And in
hearing her voice and her words, I knew that God was reminding me of the gift
that He had given me in her …
In the beginning, she was just my friend
(“make a friend”), but now she is part of our family … a
friend to all of us … a sister …
she longed to have a family who loved her just as she was … so God
gave her our family. When we have family
pictures taken (as this past June when one of our daughters was married), this
friend is in the family pictures. She is
not only my friend, but she’s also a friend to John and our daughters
… God blessed us in the gift of this friend, and He blessed her with a
family who loves her dearly. And in all
of it, Christ is the glue in our friendship … He is the Touchpoint of all
that we say and do … we know this because we talk about Him and His
action in our lives when we share about our lives of
holiness/formation/evangelization. Our
Lord gave me this beautiful woman for a sister … thank You, Jesus!!! I encounter Christ in my friend …
And I thank God for the gift of the Cursillo Movement
… I am fully aware that it is in
persevering in the Cursillo Method that my friend and I remain so close to each
other (“being a friend”) ... and we continue to grow closer as we
share about the ways that God is working in our lives (bringing each other to
Christ)… both the successes and the challenges … even though the
miles continue to separate us. And when
we are together again, it is as if we have never been apart (coinciding with St. Augustine’s
concept of time). This past Saturday
morning when my Group Reunion met (at 6:30
a.m.), my friend and I got to “group” again … and
she talked about the wonderful Cursillo friends that God has given me here in
Nebraska to share my life with … I
am reminded again and again of how much He loves me in the friends that He
gives me … We are all trying to
become saints using the gifts (and minimizing the weaknesses) that He gave us
… and it is a joy to have this friend to journey with …
And even as I write these words, another of my best
friends (also a cursillista) is preparing to move away … and I will miss
my friend in a big way … But
experience has shown me that we don’t necessarily have to grow apart in
spirit even though we are separated by the miles … May God be with my friend who is being sent
to a new section of the vineyard …
As I write these words, I think of the many, many
wonderful friends (including my husband, John) that God has given me in
Cursillo, and I am so thankful that He loves me so much to send these faith-
and joy-filled persons to be my companions on the journey … our lives are
a series of comings and goings … but our friends are always with us
(especially the Friend we have the opportunity to receive daily) … God is good … all the time … and
Holy is His Name … oh yeah!!!
De Colores!!
…………………… Kathy Springer
From the Spiritual Advisor ...
In the first reading for the Sunday Mass on August 27,
2006, Joshua says to the Jewish people: “If it does not please you to serve
the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond
the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now
dwelling. As for me and my household, we
will serve the Lord.” Joshua
said these words as he led the Jewish people in a renewal of the covenant with
the Lord. In a very real way, every time
that we come to the Mass, we renew our covenant with the Lord. We join ourselves, our lives and our prayers,
with the prayer of Jesus to the Father; and the Father gives to us the Body,
Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus.
Much the same could be said of our Group
Reunions. They are opportunities for us
to reflect on the marvels that the Lord has done for us and to recommit
ourselves to Him. It is very helpful to
spend some time reflecting on our week in preparation for our Group Reunion,
and then as we share about our piety, our study, and our action, in a way, we
are really growing in our awareness of Christ’s Presence in our lives
… how He has blessed us, and what has been our response to Him. Our acts of piety, or the spiritual aids that
help us in our spiritual growth, are really very concrete, practical ways we
use to say to the Lord: “As for me
and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Our efforts at study, what we have read/experienced
this week that helped change our mentality to be more Christian, are really
indicators of our willingness to be formed by God’s grace into the image
and likeness of Jesus … to put on the mind and the heart of Christ. Sometimes it is helpful to reflect on how
much time we spend reading or studying secular books (or other reading
materials) and how much time we spend reading Scripture or other spiritual
books or Church documents or Cursillo documents. The answer to how much effort we put into our
study is an indicator of how much we are living out that promise: “As for me and my household, we will
serve the Lord.”
Finally, our apostolic actions … our attempts to
bring about change in family, neighborhood, work or other environments … is serving the Lord. And how faithful we are in coming up with a
plan of apostolic action each week, and carrying out that plan, is another way
that we can examine ourselves to see if we are really trying to “serve the Lord.”
Joshua and the Jewish people recommitted themselves to
serving the Lord. In the Gospel, as
others were walking away and returning to their former ways of life, Peter
recommitted himself to the Lord by saying, “Master,
to whom shall we go? You have the words
of eternal life. We have come to believe
and are convinced that You are the Holy One of God.” In our Group Reunions, we recommit ourselves
to the Lord by living lives of piety, study, and action. May each of us strive to recommit ourselves
to the Lord … during each Fourth Day … each week at our Group
Reunion … and each time we assist at Mass.
May we be more and more open to His grace working in our lives and
leading us where He wants us to go.
De Colores!!
…………………Fr. Mark Seiker
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