Growing in Cursillo

From Our Spiritual Advisor:             

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, 

It’s been a wonderful time being with and sharing in our next men’s Cursillo team meetings (#295).  I’m enjoying time and time again our learning, sharing, and growing – even when I have faulty hearing and also speaking!  It proves to me that our Lord will use all kinds of persons as precious tools in His hands.  I get wonderful new ideas to amaze me as we share so much personal faith growth with one another.  When shared as one’s own personal faith experiences, we can see how they all fit together to actually BE the whole Body of Christ alive and well. 

So… I’m becoming even more and more aware of how important it is that I make extra efforts to invite others to live our weekends and grow in our groupings and ultreyas. Our current generation is just as much in need as any previous ones were. And with the growth of the internet and AI and more ways of connecting, what we’re all about in sharing the gift of faith is more challenging and can even be more powerful while still very personal.  Discussing things like this can help us each (and all) grow and glow!!! Let’s be great encouragers……! 

DE Colores, 

Fr. Skip

August a Month of Yes

From Our Spiritual Advisor: 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, May the Lord give you His peace as we continue to bask in His love, and in this summer fun weather.  My prayer is that all of you have enjoyed lots of good times with family and friends over these summer months, and that you have allowed yourselves to be those warm rays, special sparks, refreshing draughts of Christ’s powerful presence to those who most need Him. 

August is one of those months wherein we are blessed to encounter so many brothers and sisters of Faith who said “yes” to God’s call and walked the path of open receptivity and generous service, laying the foundation and building up the Kingdom of God.  Knowing that we could not have any offer of salvation without the Son of God being born into our humanity, we gladly celebrate the one who gave her trusting “Yes” to the angel Gabriel and became the mother of our Savior, Mary of Nazareth.  As we love to sing the song, De Colores, Mary joyfully sang her Magnificat, giving praise and thanks to Almighty God and calling to a life of service those who would come to believe in our Savior.  Mary’s life of faithful service culminated in her Assumption (8-15) and Queenship (8-22). 

Mary said, “Yes” and others followed.  Here are just a few.  St. Alphonsus Liguori (8-1) would say “Yes” and become a Bishop and Doctor of the Church.  St. Dominic (8-8) would say “Yes” and become the founder of the Order of Preachers, helping men and women of the 13th century, and today, to hear and understand the Word of God in a more meaningful way.  St. Lawrence (8-10), would say, “yes” and become a deacon and martyr of the very early Church after he was asked to hand over the treasury of the Church to the pagan Roman authorities and instead brought together the poorest members of the Church and presented them to the authorities.  St. Maximilian Kolbe, (8-14) franciscan priest and martyr, would say, “Yes” as he was arrested by the Nazi gestapo in WWII, imprisoned in a death camp, and offered himself to die in place of another prisoner.  St. Bernard (8-20) would say, “Yes” as he sought to reform monastic life in the 12th century by emphasizing the power of a personal, loving relationship with Jesus.  St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a Jewish convert to the Catholic faith and a Carmelite nun, would say, “Yes” to Jesus by offering her life in the death camps of the Nazis in WWII.  St. Monica (8-27) would say, “Yes” as she yearned and cried for the conversion of her son, St. Augustine (8-28) to the Christian faith.  These are just a few of the Faithful followers of Jesus whom we celebrate in August and try to emulate all through the year. 

None of this could happen without the first disciples of Jesus who witnessed His transfiguration (8-6).  Peter, James and John were privileged to experience the glorious reality of Jesus as He was joined by Moses and Elijah on the mountain.  The three disciples heard the voice, “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.”  Coming down from the mountain Jesus helped them to realize that the glory they saw could not be achieved without the Cross.  Jesus seeks to help us learn this powerful lesson in our daily lives, that new life comes only through the transition of dying, in one way or another.  Let’s not be afraid to walk the journey of New Life.

De Colores!   

Fr. Jim Morman

Our Pilgrimage

From our Lay Directors: 

Hello, fellow pilgrims! This greeting came to mind often while I was attending the Eucharistic Revival in Indianapolis. What a blessing it was for me to be able to attend! 

It isn’t a greeting just for a large revival or a pilgrimage or a Cursillo weekend! We are all pilgrims on the journey from earth to heaven. One of my favorite hymns, “The Servant Song”, has this verse: “We are pilgrims on a journey, we are travelers on the road. We are here to help each other, walk the mile and share the load.” I found myself singing this as I navigated the wide, crowded hallways of the Indianapolis Convention Center where some of the presentations took place. 

The lives we live aren’t easy. I say often, to myself and others, that this isn’t heaven. Dr. Ben Akers gave a thought-filled talk on offering our bodies as a living sacrifice. He reminded us of the importance of praying a Morning Offering. Telling Jesus daily that we will serve Him with all that we are! When we offer up the difficulties of our lives - difficult jobs, difficult people, difficult situations (loss, health, etc.) to the suffering of Jesus on the Cross, these offerings take on a salvific meaning. We understand that the sacrifices we make for those living a Cursillo weekend are so much more powerful than something we do for our own sakes because they are connected to Jesus! When we sacrifice for others, we make those sacrifices holy. 

Romans 12:1: I urge you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.  

De Colores  

Kathy Otermat and John Lyons