Chicago Catholic Cursillo

Transcription

1 Chicago Catholic Cursillo Words are birds. They fly around us constantly and intrigue us with their sound and beauty. Our Cursillo movement is overflowing with beautiful and colorful words. Who can forget De Colores? A common word heard among us is the word cloister. It manifests itself among us most often when we discuss the relationship of the Fourth Day community to the candidates on the weekend. For some of us, it means the absolute isolation of the candidates from any outside influence. For others, it s the part of the building dedicated to prayer e.g. Church. For others, it s the people e.g. priests or nuns. These are just a few examples. As Cursillistas what is our understanding of the reality of cloister? It seems to me that for us cloister is both place and attitude. On a weekend, there are indeed sacred places: the conference room and the Chapel. Our attitude toward those places should be one of respect and reverence. The same can be said about the candidates. They merit our reverence and respect. They, too, are cloistered There are also community spaces: the dining room and the kitchen. The difficulty happens when sacred space (cloistered) becomes confused with community or shared space. For our group, this happens at meal times. Some see the community dining room as cloister. We also have the opposite view namely, those who consider the sacred Inside this issue Lay Directors... 2 Three Day Update...2 4th Day Sign Up.. 3 Asst. Rectora Article.. 4 Team List... 4 Weekend Schedule.. 5 Just a Piece of Paper..6 Reflection by Dcn Terry...7 Event Calendar..8 February 2015 cloister space to be community space. What to do? Cloister or Community? Say hello or no? Give a hug or no? Let anybody who shows up help with the meal? Solemnity or smile? Where did the prayerful spirit go? Is this a party? The solution is incumbent upon us who know the difference between the three spaces and cloisters. On a practical level: 1. Remember that preserving the cloister means respect for our candidates and reverence for their spaces both spiritual and concrete. We practice respect and reverence for the presence of God at work in them. Our prayerful example is priceless. 2. All of us in the Fourth Day community are called and indeed are invited to participate anytime throughout the weekend by means of our reverent and respectful service serving meals, praying palanca at the center or at home. We are cheerful witnesses of the Spirit. On the weekend come down and offer your services. You are welcome! 3. Summing up: Church is sacred; conference room is sacred; dining room is community; kitchen is community; palanca is sacred and community. Let us remember. De Colores, Fr. Mike Michelini Palanca Party Fourth Day Information Thurs. March 5: Sponsor Liturgy open to all 4th day to attend Fri. March 6: Dishes Anyone? Sat. March 7: 4th day Mass (7 PM) and Candlelight to follow. Sun. March 8: Clausura (Closing) ***New Time: 4th day should arrive at 3 PM Kitchen Help and Chapel Palanca are needed throughout the weekend. See Schedule on page 3 The Men s Weekend is on. Help clean St. Hedwig s. March 4, 2015 from 7 to 9 pm We will supply the pizza and soft drinks. Sign or Call JoAnn Collins (630)

2 Love, Love, Love Love Christians This Is Your Call We re sure you are even now humming the song sung at the closing of Candlelight. It always has a profound effect on us. This song echoes the theme of the Beatitudes, and the question resonates in our hearts: what is my call right now? St. Valentine s Day is approaching, a day of expressing love. We each have certain ways we enjoy giving and receiving love. So does God! He gives and receives through you! Love your neighbor as yourself, for God loves us all. God produces and fulfills our call, always anchored in love. What is your call right now? Consider donating some of your energy to supporting Cursillo. The Secretariat has been energetically growing; we have many support projects in the works and would love for you to join us in making a difference. Maybe you can copy a booklet; maybe you could make a few phone calls, or perhaps help with communications. We all love to hear about other s works in God s name. Send us a note about the efforts of a Cursillista in your environment. Maybe now is a good time to help someone write a weekend talk ( Put me in, coach, I m ready to play ). We are in need of someone with marketing experience, people willing to make a few calls. We wish to hear your stories of Cursillo action. We would like to share these in a display at the Men's Closing. This is one way to provide apostolic encouragement to each other in our community of faith. We would love to hear from you, any and all! This is your Cursillo, truly God's love in action, and we are so blessed. Pope Francis: You tell us that to love God and neighbor is not something abstract, but profoundly concrete: it means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely. And you are, dear brothers and sisters, the face of Jesus. Cindy and Dan Kane What Valentine Can I Give Him? What can I give to Jesus On this special Valentine's Day? How can I tell Him I'll love Him, And follow Him, come what may? How can I show I need Him? Should I send a red heart, with lace? How can I thank Him enough For his sacrifice, love and grace? What Valentine can I give Him, My adoration to impart? 2 I'll give to Him what He wants most; I'll yield to Him my heart. By Joanna Fuchs

3 Christ is Counting on You. It s on the cross we wear. It is not the Cursillo motto; it is a Cursillista s Way of life. Sign up and Support Our Brothers In Christ Use the directions below to sign up to support the 255th Men s team. Our Service team is short due to a few men who at the last minute were unable to fully commit to the team. Luckily they have us; the 4th Day. Step One: Turn on your computer and fire up your web browser. Visit our website at (You can also sign up using your mobile browser our website is mobile friendly and so is the sign-up site.) Sign Up Genius Mobile site looks slightly different but is user friendly. Step Two: Look for the button which reads Sign Up Click on it to be directed to the sign-up information page on our site. Step Three: There is a brief explanation regarding the sign-up. You can read the information or skip to clicking on the button that reads Sign up Now. Note: you will be directed to another site called Sign Up Genius. (See screen shots). Step Four: We need help March 4 for Cleaning the Center March 5 for setup March 6-7 for Kitchen, Service and Chapel Palanca March 8 for Cleanup help throughout the day, 4th day for the Claursura and help with the Final Cleanup 1. It s a free site so there are ads just ignore them. 2. Use the scroll bar to the right to move through the site. 3. Once you select the date, section and time, click the submit and signup button on the bottom. The list is sorted by dates, which then list one-hour time slots for Kitchen, Service and Palanca. Find the time you can help and click on the section. You can select more than one hour, however please don t select more than one section to help within an hour. Sign Up Genius Website use scroll bar to move down to signup list. As you scroll down there are you can check as many time slots for any of the four days listed as you are able to cover. When you are done selecting click the Submit and Sign Up button to enter your name and address. You will receive a confirmation shortly after you submit your information. Two days before each day you made a commitment, an reminder will be sent to you from Sign Up Genius. Note that you don t have to sign up 4th day is always welcome without notice the reason for the signup sheet is to provide the Kitchen and Service Bosses notice when they expect some help. You do not have to create a password for Sign Up Genius to use the site. After entering your name and address simply click the continue button. 3

4 Men s 255 Cursillo I danced for the fishermen James and John they followed me so the dance went on. We may all slice it up differently, but to me, the key words describing Cursillo are: Grace, Community, and Transformation. Grace is the fuel; community, the engine; transformation is what the engine does renews the individual, the community and ultimately the face of the earth. GRACE informs all we do and all we seek during formation and the weekend. Supplying grace is the Holy Spirit s job; identifying and embodying it for the candidates is our job. Which leads to COMMUNITY the only part we control in the conversion process. Despite diversity in our backgrounds, politics, sports affiliations, education, wealth and social status, teams have always come together, and candidates always become family. Why? Because in Cursillo, as within our Faith, our relationships and status are based solely on shared kinship with the Lord and desire to serve, not master. Once artificial divisions and distractions are forgotten, Spiritual Fr. Mike Furlan Directors : Dcn. Len Marturano Dcn. Bob Landuyt Palanca: Denis Ciezadlo Mike Corbitt Kitchen: Boss: Ray Gillfillan Angelo Benedetto Jay Krasne John Davis we no longer see an other, but a brother or sister in Christ it connects us. The resulting magic is called. TRANSFORMATION whether metanoia in the individual, or growth in grace with the community, or later on across the earth as candidates move into their Fourth Day and manifest Christ in their environments. Community provides the good soil for seeds of transformation to bloom. The transformed become another witness to and manifestation of grace, and the engine turns over again so the dance goes on. Remember, 4th Day Community: palanca, helping hands in Kitchen & Service, attendance at Candlelight and Clausura let's show that ours is a community of service. GRACE, COMMUNITY, TRANSFORMATION De Colores, Mike Castellaneta Rector: Stan Nowak Asst. Rector: Mike Castellenata Liturgists: Dan Kane Mike Ferchau Service: Boss: Gus Campeotto Marc Collins 4th Day Support Needed Ideal: Mike Castellenata Layperson: Chris Knoerzer Piety: Jeff Jalowicz Study: Mike Latona Action: Gary Figiel Leaders: Environment: CCIA: Total Security: Marty Yurcheshen Earl Schaffnit Mike Kanis Stan Nowak General and personal palanca letters for candidates can be ed to palanca@chicagocursillo.org Letters can also be dropped off at St. Hedwig s anytime throughout the weekend. 4

5 Weekend Schedule Thursday Friday Continued Saturday Continued 5:30 PM Advance Team Arrives 6:30 PM Balance of Team Arrives 7:00 PM Candidate Registration 8:00 PM Introductions & Opening Remarks SPONSORS' LITURGY: 4th day Welcome to Attend 8:45 PM KNOW YOURSELF & STATIONS OF THE CROSS 9:45 PM Break 10:00 PM Ground Rules 10:15 PM PRODIGAL SON/WOMAN AT THE WELL 11:00 PM Retire 11:05 PM Team Meeting 11:15 AM GRACE (Habitual Grace) 12:00 PM Lunch 1:30 PM Photo (Chapel) 2:30 PM Song Practice 3:00 PM LAITY 4:00 PM FAITH (Actual Grace) 5:30 PM Song Practice 5:45 PM Supper 6:45 PM PIETY 7:45 PM Summaries & Posters 8:30 PM Resume by Spiritual Director 8:45 PM RECONCILIATION SERVICE 11:00 PM Retire- Team Meeting 9:15 AM STUDY 10:30 AM SACRAMENTS I 11:30 AM Group Chapel Visit 12:00 PM SACRAMENTS PART II 1:15 PM LUNCH 2:30 PM ACTION 3:45 PM Song Practice 4:00 PM CELEBRATION OF MASS 5:00 PM OBSTACLES TO GRACE 6:00 PM Supper 7:00 PM LEADERS/ 4th DAY MASS 8:00 PM Chapel Visit 8:30 PM Conference Room 9:00 PM Summaries & Posters 10:30 PM Resume by Spiritual Director 10:45 PM Night Prayers 11:00 PM Retire Friday 6:45 AM Team & Candidates Arise 7:30 AM 3 GLANCES OF CHRIST 8:00 AM Celebration of Mass 9:00 AM Breakfast 10:15 AM IDEAL Saturday 6:30 AM Team & Candidates Arise 7:15 AM ROSARY & THE FIGURE OF CHRIST 8:00 AM Breakfast Sunday 6:45 AM Team Arises 7:00 AM Candidates Arise 7:45 AM CHRIST S MESSAGE TO THE CURSILLISTA 8:15 AM Breakfast 8:45 AM MOP talk 9:00 AM ENVIRONMENTS 9:45 AM CHRISTIAN LIFE 10:45 AM CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION 11:30 Brunch/Lunch 12:45 PM GROUP REUNION & ULTREYA 1:30 PM Roster Distribution 2:00 PM AGAPE MASS 3:00 PM ***New 4th Day Arrival 3:30 PM Light Supper 4:00 PM Closing Remarks Clausura COME ON DOWN We have made some changes in order to incorporate more 4th Day involvement with the weekend. The palanca room as a place to gather, get assignments to help Service, and pray. We want you to come help and stay to pray for the weekend in progress. The 255th Men s team had a few men in Service who had conflicts and could not commit to the team as planned. We need 4th day to help out in Kitchen and Service. We have a service sign in sheet online. See page 5 for directions on how to sign up to support our Men s Team. Or Call Bob or Ellen Chio (630) Day number 5

6 Just a Piece of Paper It may be white, it may be colored; have a design or scenic view. It may be expensive, it may be cheap; perhaps a piece of soft tissue. But it's just a piece of paper. Into the envelope it will go, to someone special that we know. But it's just a piece of paper. paper without Palanca it just doesn't rate. It's just a piece of paper. Some call the paper Palanca, a lever to pull for grace, Paper never had that power, even if bordered with lace. It's just a piece of paper. We hope the message is warm and clear, For it is delivered to someone quite dear. So send our Lord some prayers, a chapel visit or two, Something with your piety, something old or something new. Kind words of affirmation are always good to hear, Or just a personal message to make this walk quite clear. But yet, it's just a piece of paper. You may read scripture on a daily basis or plan some sort of action, You decide what's on the plate; just flavor it with God's Love and satisfaction. The paper is like an unused film or just an empty plate, Like a That's Palanca sent up above to be used by the candidates that we host, In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Start now with your Palanca; prayers of supplication, So the power of our God is seen with complete appreciation. If not, It's just a piece of paper. Denis Ciezadlo Palanca Coordinator January 16, 2015 Breaking Bread Community Mass Come Join us at St. Hedwig s Date: Sunday, April 26, 2015 Time: TBD 6

7 Our Baptism, His Character By Deacon Terry Albano The conclusion of the Christmas Season brings us liturgically to a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus His Baptism. Since we are in Year B of the three-year cycle, the Gospel reading for that Sunday was from Mark. Mark tends to be a no fluff kind of guy. If Matthew and Luke are blogs, Mark is more like a Tweet. No time for excess words. What is notable is that all three accounts of Jesus baptism have Him going into the desert to deal face to face with the Devil. Following his baptism in Matthew 4, we are told, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. In other words, Jesus goes from baptism immediately into hostile territory. Matthew and Luke both recount the actual temptations presented to Jesus. These temptations are based on lies, which, by the way, is all the enemy has going for him. When engaging in the world around us, our environments, we discover that this is the same stretching of truth continues even today. Taking this opportunity at the beginning of a new year to reflect on the call God put on our lives at our own Baptism, we realize that part of that call is to follow Christ into hostile territory. When we daily say yes to Jesus and immerse ourselves in His life, the Holy Spirit pours more graces into our lives allowing the character of Jesus to come alive in us. At our Baptism, the priest, or if you are young enough the deacon, prayed the following prayer over you and anointed you with sacred chrism on the crown of your head: God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and welcomed you into his holy people. He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life. that Jesus encountered, and we in our day encounter, there is an antidote in the character of Jesus. The first Temptation: The Devil tells Jesus to change the stones into bread. After all Jesus was hungry from fasting and being the son of God this should be no problem. Jesus counters with: It is written: One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Note to self: when Jesus says, It is written. don t mess with him. Our High Priest Jesus refuses to comfort himself. Rather he clings to the word his Father has revealed and begins the work of offering his life as a sacrifice for us. Priests: The common priesthood of the faithful we receive as baptized disciples is a sharing in the priesthood of Christ. As we are daily immersed in the living waters of Christ s life and the life of his Spirit, we become those who offer our lives as a sacrifice of praise to God. Out of that offering to the Father, we become servants to each other setting aside our priorities and offering ourselves for the sake of others. We are an offering in love for their temporal and eternal good. We read in Romans 12:1, I urge you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. And in Revelation 1:5-6 it says Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever. Amen. It is no longer me first, but as an act of worship we set aside our own comfort for the sake of the other. Then all present respond: Amen. The Second Temptation: The Devil offers Jesus power and glory in exchange for idolatry. All he has to do is worship Satan and everything will be granted to him. Here in is the lie. Power and glory are not Devil s to give. Jesus said to him in reply, It is written (there it is again): You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve, Luke 4:8. What he offers is counterfeit with the promise of emptiness and slavery to human passions and desires. The words Priest, Prophet, and King are not simply titles we share with Jesus. They are His character that comes to life in us as we follow him into the hostile territories of this world. For each of these temptations Prophet: The office of prophet, simply stated, is one who is led by the Spirit, into the desert as Jesus was, and formed by the word of God, to confront: evil, discord and lies with truth. When we reject the lies presented to us by 7

8 the enemies of our souls we are living prophetically. Jesus teaches in Matthew 5 that when we refuse to let our light be hidden, the darkness in our environments will flee. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16 The Third Temptation: The Devil takes Jesus to the parapet of the temple (I guess that s pretty high up there) and urges him If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him in reply, It also says (or it is written), You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test. King: As we grow in the character of the King of Kings we realize it is not our place to tell God what to do or demand our own way. Keep in mind our King washed feet. As Jesus served the purposes of His Father he turned the image of earthly kingship on its ear even as he wrestled with that cup of suffering in the garden. Jesus would not throw himself off the top of the temple nor reject the Father s plan for redemption because his life was completely submitted to the Father s will and His every breath was offered for the Father s glory. He was not given to anything that would seem cheap and flashy. Remember the story of Zebedee s kids who wanted to sit at His right and left in the Kingdom. Mark Chapter 10 tells us how that exchange went. Jesus replied, You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They said to him, We can. Jesus said to them, The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared. When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man 8 did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. To live the life of a king is to be a servant. The grace of a life in Christ is to grow in our ability to take the focus off ourselves and place it squarely on the cross where we learn to set aside all that we hold dear and on cease insisting on our own way. Such is the grace of our baptism. This life of a Cursillista is a call to leadership. We will all shepherd others in some form or another. We will be given opportunities to lay down our lives for someone (hopefully spiritually). Peter tells us, So I exhort the presbyters (Leaders) among you, as a fellow presbyter (Leaders) and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing (Leading) not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4) Our role as servants of Christ, as Cursillistas (Leaders) is to exercise Godly authority in all our environments so that the people we interact with will know that there is a God who looks at them and believes they are to die for! Our shared life in Christ is a high calling and yes a mission from God. You are his hands, his voice and his feet and by the power of His Spirit you have received everything you need to live victoriously in the hostile territories of this world. Because you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1Peter 2:9) Sisters and brothers, As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live always as a member of his body, sharing everlasting life. And let the Church say: AMEN! May you have a blessed, Spirit filled and victorious New Year. De Colores, Dcn Terry Albano

9 November 19, 2014 Morning Prayer with Religious and Lay Programs with Archbishop Cupich. Holy Name Cathedral was a full house to pray and meet our new Archbishop Blase Cupich. December 7, 2014 The Cursillo Advent Prayer Service was a great opportunity for members of our community to take time away from our hectic pre-christmas schedules for prayer, reflection and camaraderie. It was great to share this time with members of my Reunion Group and Ultreya as well as people from the wider community many of whom I had never met. The reflections were on target; the sharing was inspirational; and the simple meal was perfect. All were fed through these varied elements as we anticipated the Coming of the Christ Child. Morning Prayers with Archbishop Cupich Advent Service 2014 Please consider joining us next year! You won't regret it! Rita Behrendt December 2014 Feed my Starving Children A great day of service: packing grains and other dry goods to feed children around the world. December 2014 Keeping Chicago Warm Outreach Coat Drive Thanks to all your donations many of the needy and homeless received coats, hats, and other items for the winter. Mike Castellenata February 20 Fri. St. Thomas of Villanova March 4 Wed. Cleanup Day at St. Hedwig s 7 pm 9 pm 5-8 Men s Weekend 15 Sun. Our Lady of the Ridge 16 Mon. St. Gertrude's 20 Fri. St. Thomas of Villanova Feed My Starving Children April 17 Fri. Queen of All Saints 26 Sunday Community St. Hedwigs May 1 Matthew Kelly St. Catherine s 7 pm 11 pm See Cursillo website for details 15 Fri. St. Thomas 17 Sun. Our Lady of the Ridge 18 Mon. St. Gertrude s Keeping Chicago Warm July 18 Sat. 3rd Annual Sox Game 30 Mon. St. Gertrude's Consider bringing a potential candidate to an Ultreya each event is open to all people not just Cursillistas. For more details (times and location addresses) visit our website at chicagocursillo.org Remember you are welcome to attend any Ultreya. 9