We started the evening
off with song and we shared in small groups; in addition to Piety, Study and
Action, everyone was asked to think about and discuss, “How do I want my life
to be different in the next year? How do
I want my Cursillo community to be different in the next year? We will continue to ask these questions in
the months to come. To make our Cursillo
all that it can be, we need your thoughts and ideas, we need to know how we can
work together to make Trenton Cursillo all that it can be and should be. During the day of recollection at St. Denis,
the topic of prayer and meditation was suggested and will be presented in
September. Other talks include:
·
Sponsorship
·
Spiritual
Direction and the Role of the Spiritual Advisor
·
Studying
the Environment around me
·
Developing
the Mind of Christ
·
Leadership
Since our Cursillo weekend we have all
been on a journey, a personal El Camino de Santiago de Compostela. If we were to actually walk the El Camino, we
would be very care to take only what we need to get from one stop to the next. Backpacks are small and don’t hold much
stuff; definitely not 30 days’ worth of supplies or clothing. So if you were planning to walk the El
Camino, you wouldn’t bring things you might
need but would only carry things that you would
need. So to, our Fourth Day journey
goes from one Mass to the next, one School of Leaders to the next, one Ultreya
to the next, one group reunion to the next.
And like all of the pilgrims who walk the El Camino, we rely on the
Grace of God but also one another for strength and encouragement.
* * *
After grouping, Deacon Tony presented the Doctrinal Talk
from Matthews Gospel, when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I
am?” He started off by answering the
question, “Who is Jesus?” That Jesus was
the Son of God; He was a man without ceasing to be God; and that we are the
cause and the reason for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Also, Tony pointed out that God revealed
Himself throughout history in small doses—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—but in Jesus,
God is revealed completely.
Then Tony took us down
memory lane by asking a question from the Baltimore Catechism, “Why did God
make me (us)?” To which everyone
replied, “To know Him, love Him and serve Him in this life and be happy with
Him in the next.”
Tony gave us excellent
examples of knowing someone. He pointed
out that what he knew about Pat was very different than what he discovered as
he came to know her personally. In
another example he asked the question, “Do you know Frank Sinatra?” I believe everyone nodded that we did. Then Tony pointed out that we knew about
Frank Sinatra, but his mother and father KNEW him. They went out on dates together, they shared
a friendship, they KNEW Frank Sinatra.
Relationship was the difference for Tony’s parents in knowing Frank
Sinatra.
Tony tied relationship
with the reason God made us together.
Our knowledge of Jesus turns to love as our relationship with Him
grows. Then as our love grows, our
desire to serve Him grows. Tony shared
that growing up he knew a lot about Jesus, but after making his Cursillo be
began to really KNOW Jesus as Savior, friend, and Lord.
The Techniques talk was
provided by Mary Ann Dowd. She answered
the question, “Who am I?” She pointed
out that of the two this was the more difficult question. Mary Ann pointed out that some of her initial
responses were wife, mother, friend, and more, but as she thought more about
the question, she looked at the question reflecting on the question from the
Baltimore Catechism, “Who made me?” Why? Mary Ann noted that family taught her the way
to live.
Mary Ann noted that on
her Cursillo weekend, the Ideals talk had a huge impact on her life. Questions
asked during the talk, “Where do you spend your money? Where do you spend your time?” She asked a
direct question, “If Christians do not act, who will?”
She ended with two
important descriptions herself in answer to the question, “Who am I?” She stated, “I am a rough draft” and “I am a
child of the King.” Those are excellent descriptions of each of us walking the
journey of life.
Sincere
thanks to Deacon Tony and Mary Ann
* * *
Friday began the Fortnight for Freedom.
The U.S.
bishops have called for a Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week period of
prayer and action, to address many current challenges to religious liberty,
including the August 1, 2013 deadline for religious organizations to comply
with the HHS mandate, Supreme Court rulings that could attempt to redefine
marriage in June, and religious liberty concerns in areas such as immigration
and humanitarian services.
Formation Day for all in Catechetical Ministry.
Fall
Leadership Day on August 22, 2013 from 0900-1430, at Saint William the Abbot
Parish, Howell, NJ
