A MESSAGE FROM ASSISTANT LAY DIRECTOR, RONNIE MARTELLA

At School of Leaders last week, Robert opened with a wonderful reflection on letting God "transform" us and in doing so allowing ourselves to be transformed again and again in all our life's circumstances(4th Day). It opened the way for the talks and the sharing which spoke of stepping out in Faith (surrender to God's Will....saying "yes" first and not sweating the details)

Father Ed really drove home what a treasure we have in our Catholic Faith that it is the only "complete" repository of TRUTH-we are the fortunate ones, blessed to be Catholic, blessed to be Cursillistas, blessed to be with each other at School, at Ultreya, in groups-wherever we can gather.  Father reminded us of the four Marks of the Church-One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic- and how we can find in each of these what God wants for us and calls us to as followers.

Dick Andrejack took those points and looked at them in a way that witnessed to a Christian life, lived to the full. Dick heard the call (from me to speak and from God), he listened, responded, prayed, and prepared. He was open to the Spirit and found in the Bishop’s letter what we need to live a life of faith. The letter confirms who we are and what we believe, and that we are co-responsible for handing on the faith.

Dick urged us to read the letter, pass it on to others and to pull out what speaks to us.

The letter can be found at this link.

What a wonderful return to School of Leaders following the summer. I am looking forward to continuing the conversation about how we live in faith, how we can deepen our faith and how we share that faith with us. I hope you join us on Friday, October 19 at the Epiphany Parish Hall.

A NOTE FROM LAY DIRECTOR, MARY ANN DOWD

Beloved Cursillistas, 

Friday night at Diocesan Mass Father Ed based his homily on "trust". Our witness Terry Ginther, expounded on that theme by giving us an amazing rule to live by:  Asking God to take away our fear and then complete surrender to HIS Will.  We all face many challenges in our 4th day but Jesus of Mercy tells us worry is useless...it is our faith that HE desires.  Thank you Father Ed and Terry for reminding us that in these challenging times, Jesus sits on The Throne, yesterday, today and tomorrow. May our Jesus of Mercy take us to a place of enlightenment and Peace as we journey together.

Rosa Parks is quoted as say:  "Memories of our lives, our works and our deeds will live on in others".  May this 9/11 in the year 2012 reflect in us the lives, works and deeds of all those we loved and lost; particularly as we remember our dear Cursillista brother, Al Conde.
 

Rest in Peace, Al, and pray for our movement, our country and our world.

forever Decolores!

mary ann xo

AN INVITATION TO ALL CURSILLISTAS!

You are invited to come celebrate 

Trenton Cursillo's 40th Anniversary and

Our Beloved Father Jay Bowden's 50th Jubilee

St. Martha's Church

3800 Hebertsville Road

Point Pleasant, NJ 08742

Saturday, October 6, 2012

6PM to 10PM

There will be a Pot Luck Dinner

Please RSVP by September 23, 2012

Carol Gaynor @ 732-787-3744

CALL TO ACTION by Deacon Tony Martucci

"Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile."

"From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.

All these evils come from within and they defile." MK. 7:22-23

These words today ring out to us as a warning. Our great nation was founded by people who left the security of their homelands in Europe to establish a home where they would be free to worship and live their lives in religious freedom. They fought a war with England to create a free nation protecting the values they loved. The founding fathers wrote a Constitution that established a government of the people, by the people and for the people. In that Constitution, they limited the government’s power to ensure the liberty of its citizens.

Over the past fifty years, we have given up some of that freedom in order to gain security and comfort. Most Catholics have lost their understanding and zeal for our Catholic faith. Once, this church would have been filled with worshipers every Sunday at every Mass. Once All Catholics believed that Jesus is really present in the Holy Eucharist. Once, Catholics would have lined up on Saturday for the Sacrament of reconciliation. Once Catholics were recognized as being different from people of other faiths. 

Now we are assimilated into the American Culture. Our divorce rate is the same as everyone else’s; our churches are perhaps half-filled each Sunday. Few people believe they need to go to confession even once a year, let alone every week or once a month. Some Catholics don’t even believe they are sinners. They choose to live their lives in their own way, picking and choosing what laws of God and the Church they want to follow.

I pray that we who are here today are not judged by what I have just described, but I am afraid that none of us, including me, is as faithful to Christ’s commands as we ought to be. I believe that this is why our nation and our faith are under attack and in danger of being lost. Now is the time for us to choose to renew our faith, to strive to become holy people once again by following the teachings of Christ. We can do this by again turning to the Scriptures each day, to hear and understand the word of God; by attending a Bible Study such as the one being offered here on Tuesday evenings or on Wednesday morning. We can deepen our Faith by watching or listening to Christian programs, such as EWTN; and praying as if our very existence depends on God, for indeed it does. 

We can no longer be satisfied to attend Mass for forty-five minutes per week and think we have done our duty. We need to be Catholic 24/7. We need to speak out for the oppressed-- the homeless, the elderly, the poor, the unborn, the dispossessed. We need to pray daily for our leaders and all the leaders of the world, including those who wish us harm. We need to take an active part in the election system of our country- learning about the candidates, their positions on the issues, supporting those who are most in agreement with our values and working for their election and, of course, being registered and voting in November. If you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. 

The Good News is that there is still hope for each of us and for our Country and our way of life. While many have given up on God, He certainly has not given up on us. While Christ chastised the Pharisees in today’s Gospel, He continued to challenge them and teach them. He even died for them and for all sinners. The way for us is clear in the Book of Deuteronomy. Deut.4:1-2

“Moses said to the people: ‘Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.’”

In 2 Chronicals 7:14, we read:

“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”