God Loved Us First!

Lay Director

Friends, as cold weather holds on, I am warmed by the love that I see in my brothers and sisters in Christ. As St John said, “We love because He loved us first”. How appropriate for the month of February. The time to warm our hearts and minds. To remember that Christ loved us first. If it weren’t for His love, His coming to earth to save us by dying on the cross, we would be lost! Very lost!! I can’t imagine my life without you, my brothers and sisters. Although I do remember my life before Cursillo. It wasn’t a good life. It was dark and lonely. But now that I know of Christ’s love for me, my life is much brighter. Even when the days are hard to live, to go through. I know His love surrounds me! And I see it in your lives. I invite you to read and reflect on 1 John 4. The entire chapter is 21 verses long and talks about love. It will warm your heart.

How do we get to love all our brothers and sisters? Yes, even the ones that rub us the wrong way every time we meet. I think by remembering that God loved us first. And what does that love look like? Forgiveness of my sins (70 X 7), that is a huge start. We hear that every time we pray the Lord’s prayer; and forgive us as we forgive those who have hurt us. I don’t know about you, but sometimes that hurts! OUCH! God says He will forgive me IF I forgive the guy that keeps aggravating me at work with his demeaning jokes or foul language. Or the gal that always talks above me and knows how to do it better. I’m sure you all have a person or two in mind. So, the real question is “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?” (Romans 8:35). What does keep us from the love of God? I think in all honesty, it is our selfishness. Our pride. Our wanting to be in control. When I want to have the last word and make things turn out how I planned. And then I hear God say, do it with love. I know then that the ending has to change. My version of the story has to be different; done in and with love.

Let’s end with Romans 8:38&39. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

DeColores & Ultreya

John & Kathy

Our Mission

Spiritual Advisor

Dear Sister and Brother Cursillistas,

As I’m writing this, it is COLD outside, but to greet you all is a warm experience. I really treasure our Cursillo Movement in my life. Probably many of you know that I lived my weekend a month after I was ordained in 1969. Fr. Charlie Ritter got me to Toledo Cursillo #16, and it’s been a favored continuing gift in my life! I added it to being a Knight of Columbus which started for me through my dad and was affirmed while in seminary, and it has taught me how precious sharing faith in close and intense company with friends helps me be the kind of person who can know, love and bring friends to Christ.

Our January 2025 ARK has affirmed and deepened in me the value of being able to ponder and even meditate on our faith as we start a new year in our lives. 2025 brings to mind 12/25/25 this coming Christmas – so I’m tuned in to a deeper way to meditate on my faith in the person of Jesus and The Body of Christ that we are in our families and parishes = our Church! I’m trying to follow up on Deacon Jerry’s beautiful sharing last month on how deep and precious our faith can be as we really let it be central to our lives and not just something we “get to do.” When we have that meditative blessing all and every day, we actually become great instruments in the hands of the Holy Spirit to build up, treasure and share the grace that flows to and through us for a better world…..

Our present political situation (along with the information that currently only about 20% of baptized Catholics are present at Mass on Sundays) gives us the call to ponder who we can be in a nation (or world) that is conflicted in the human condition alone. The Faith and Hope and Love that we share in Christ are so needed, they can’t be only thought about, mentioned and sometimes struggled with. They need to be lived! They need to be prayed about, shared through invitations of companionship, pondered together (as well as individually), trusted, affirmed and joyfully celebrated as the Holy Spirit will lead us to and we can REJOICE IN. Read the Bible daily (at least a little) and try to do that with others as the Spirit gives you chances!

Toledo Diocesan Cursillo Mission Statement: Cursillo is a Catholic Lay Movement embraced by the Diocese of Toledo to bring hearts closer to Jesus Christ in order to transform society and be of service to the whole church. It is our mission to form small Christian Communities to deepen Spirituality in ourselves and in others.

February 2025

So, let’s get a bunch of guys and gals to the coming weekends where and when all this faith can be taught, enthused, shared and celebrated – and the Spirit thanked for….!

De Colores & Happy Valentine's Day!

Fr Skip

Advent Season: Watching and Waiting for Christmas

From Our Spiritual Advisor

Advent is the Season of four weeks before Christmas, marking the beginning of the Christian year. This year, Advent begins on December 1st, the first Sunday of December. Advent means "coming" or "arrival" and refers to Christ's coming in two ways: His first coming as a baby in Bethlehem and his second coming at the end of time. Advent is a time of preparation, anticipation, and hope for Christians who celebrate the birth of Jesus and await his return.

Watching and waiting are two essential themes of Advent. They remind us of the long history of God's people who waited to fulfill God's promises and watched for his signs of salvation. They also challenge us to be alert and ready for Christ's coming into our lives and the world. Watching and waiting are not passive or boring activities but active and joyful ones. They involve prayer, reading of Scripture, serving others, and sharing the good news of Jesus.

There are many ways to watch and wait for Christ during Advent. Here are some suggestions:

·       Lighting an Advent wreath is one way to watch and wait for Christ. An Advent wreath is a circular candle holder with evergreen branches and four candles, one for each week of Advent and sometimes a fifth candle in the center for Christmas. The candles are usually purple or blue, the colors of royalty and hope, and pink for the third week, representing joy. Lighting an Advent candle each week symbolizes the growing light of Christ as we approach his birth.

·       Participate in your parish's daily Mass, not just on Sundays, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Advent is a beautiful season to watch and wait for Christ. It invites us to prepare our hearts and minds for his coming, anticipate his presence and power in our lives and the world, and hope for his final and glorious return. Advent is a season to celebrate the coming of Christ, the light of the world, who shares in the darkness and will never be overcome.

·       A third way to watch and wait for Christ is to practice charitable acts. Advent is a time to share our blessings with others, especially those in need. We can generously give our time, talent, and treasure to support the mission of the Church and the works of mercy. We can also reach out to our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. We can show them the love of Christ in Word and deed. By doing so, we prepare the way of the Lord and make room for him in our hearts and homes.

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, let us remember the reason for his coming: to save us from our sins and to bring us into his kingdom of light and love. He is the fulfillment of all the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament. He is the Word made flesh, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is the gift of the Father's love for us. Let us rejoice in his presence and adore him with grateful hearts. I pray that this Christmas will be joyful for you and your loved ones. I pray you will experience the peace and joy only Christ can give. I pray that you will share his love with those around you, especially the poor, the lonely, and the marginalized. I pray you will grow in faith, hope, and charity throughout the New Year. May God bless you abundantly and keep you in his care.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Brother Daniel Hall, CSSR