Heaven and Hell, a Relationship?

Our Spiritual Advisor

Heaven and Hell.  What a great way to start a Spiritual Reflection.  Heaven and Hell. 

Those of you who know me well, and not many of you probably do, know that I am enamored by the study of Heaven and Hell, and I continually reflect on the subject.  I think about this often since it is the ultimate outcome of our Spiritual Journey here on earth.  It is the subject of the Church in that it is the goal to bring everyone we encounter to the knowledge of who God the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit is in our lives and how this plays out in a Heaven and Hell scenario.   So, what is Heaven and Hell really?  I just said what and not where is Heaven and Hell.  The Church specifically tells us that Heaven and Hell are not physical places, but a state of “being”.  I would submit that Heaven and Hell are states of “Relationship” to God, who is being itself.  But I’m getting off track. 

Jesus the Christ Himself specifically said, “The Kingdom is now”.  We live in the Kingdom, the kingdom of God.  Doesn’t it make sense that Heaven and Hell is all about us?  To experience Heaven or Hell is to experience a close relationship with the God who created us or the alternative is to not have such a close relationship.  This is a taste of the eternity that our immortal spirit will eventually experience for the rest of God’s time, a close relationship or, maybe a distant or no relationship. 

How does this play out as a Cursillista?  I would submit that at the first weekend that we lived we came in close contact with Christ Jesus through those presenters, walkers of the way, those who, through their friendship and guidance, brought us closer to Jesus in a way that we might not have experienced Jesus before.  “Make and friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Jesus”, and from there we might have experienced our creator God as a team member, witnessing to each other on the team and then on the weekend to those candidates who God entrusted to us.  We developed a greater appreciation of God; in other words, we grew deeper in our “relationship” to God.  We drew closer to experiencing a Heavenly relationship right here on earth. 

You might be getting the gist that it’s all about relationship, relationship to each other, but more to the thought of relationship to God.  The beauty of the Cursillo movement is that at each step of the process, of living a weekend and presenting a weekend, moves us closer to that ultimate relationship, that is, an eternal relationship with God through Jesus the Christ by way of the Holy Spirit.  Even if we are not involved specifically in a team experience, we pray, Palanca, for each other and others.  Each prayer experience draws us closer to that ultimate relationship with our God. 

The work of the Church is seen in us Cursillistas through the Holy Spirit.  The gifts of the Holy Spirit are alive and well within us. 

Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus, let us pray for each other continually.  Make a friend in Jesus.  Be a friend to Jesus.  Bring your friendship in Jesus to others. 

 Peace and Blessings, 

Deacon Tom Soper, #283, #288, #293

The Cursillo Method

From the Lay Directors 

 Make a friend, Be a friend, Bring a friend to Christ. 

I have pondered this statement many times over the course of my involvement in Cursillo. And it has changed, as it should as we each grow and live ! How do I do this? What does it really mean? What does it ask of me? What do I get out of it? What do I have to give up? How long will this take?  And there are more. First, consider coming to Focus day on June 15 @ St Wendelin’s in Fostoria from 8-4. There will be some good conversations about this.  

But …Make a friend….In an ever changing world how do I do this? And where do I do this?  The answer is as diverse as the people answering it. We all come from different backgrounds and that changes how we each answer it. I believe that the beginning of the answer is…be yourself. Wherever you start and however you start. You have to be you! Because if you don’t, people will see right through you and walk away. Be authentic. 

Then be the friend that you want to have. Someone who is there through thick and thin. We have all been through some tough times. And you know who you can count on to be there right beside you when you need a shoulder or when you want to celebrate. A good friend can “read” you a mile away. We all need friends, lots of friends. That's what makes Cursillo so terrific. We are there for each other. No matter what. We all make mistakes. Some big, some small. We are all imperfect !! And we all need help to stay on the narrow road that God has given us. 

And bring that friend to Christ. Let them know just how well you love the Lord. And how much He loves us! Right where we are. But He won’t leave us there. There is so much more to have. We just need to Trust in Him and His Word. What a change we all can make in this world if we would all stand shoulder to shoulder and show the world our love for each other and our love for Christ! 

DeColores! 

John Lyons   Kathy Otermat 

Love Conquers All

From Our Lay Director,

What a glorious time it is in May! Outside, there are more sunny days, our gardens are or will soon be planted, farming machinery is on the road. May is such a month of promise.

Where are our minds directed? Toward the promise of eternal life? If so, how are we spending our time and talent and resources?

We had such beautiful Cursillo weekends this Spring. The witnesses and joyful faces of our newest Cursillistas certainly helped to reinforce my desire to better live my life for Christ, and to bring others to desire that even more for themselves than they do already.

This is the time to “Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ”. It seems as if when the weather gets better, we get together with friends more often. As we understand and embrace the gift of ourselves as beloved children of God, we draw others to us, giving us the opportunity to share our love of Jesus with them.

I grew up in a home where both my parents were very devoted to God and to their roles as members of the Catholic Church. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, although with 5 kids, her younger sister with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and my father with his very busy life to care for, she did not have a very quiet life. BUT she was a very peaceful, loving person even with the challenges of her daily life, and others were drawn to her by the essence of who she was. She was quick to say, from 1 Peter 4:8b, “Love covers over a multitude of sins.” I didn’t understand that as a child, but now I realize that she knew well that we are all struggling, that Earth is not Heaven, that we are not perfect, but love conquers all. She lived well the verse from 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Happy Heavenly Mother’s Day, Mom!

DeColores!

Kathy Otermat

John Lyons