SCENES FROM THE NATIONAL ENCOUNTER by Ronnie Martella, Lay Director

Thursday night, picked up two Cursillistas from San Diego, Ramon and Marie, in Jersey where they were visiting family and took them over the bridges to Long Island.

The opening - our sisters and brothers in Christ from Brooklyn!  Two brothers charging-yes charging- down the side aisles and up the middle with colorful flags, then the entire group dancing down the aisles, on to the stage-enthusiasm, joy, music, life!

  • The talks each using the Charism of the Movement to emphasize or go deeper into it. 
  • Called to be salt and light, we must not only let Jesus into our hearts but we must let Him out of us to evangelize.  Awareness...what is your altar?  your desk, your ironing board-wherever you serve God-there is your altar.  
  • The charism - a gift from God to a person which must be discovered and accepted over and over, it is not for the one who receives it but is for the good of the community.  A gift, talent, grace, calling, vocation.
  • Cursillo - a movement, that through a method tries to achieve a reality that makes God's love real-the best news of the best reality.  Keeping things simple makes room for the Holy Spirit. 
  • John 1:46 - Come and See, we invite friends to make the journey with us.  
  • HULA HOOP! - our movable square meter-our environment (ask me about it!), When that comes into contact with others, they should see Christ in us-whether we know it or not. Everyone who has not lived a weekend is in Pre-Cursillo!  Ever think of it that way?!!! 
  • We are called to make a friend, be a friend and lead that friend to Christ-and maybe to Cursillo and maybe not.  Cursillo is meant not to satisfy a hunger for God, but to create a hunger for God, not to answer everything but to provoke questions, to urge candidates to go deeper.
  • School of Leaders helps us prepare to answer the mandate.  Do we turn into reality what God has asked?  School of Leaders-Why? What does it do? Create a hunger for God, nourish us to help others walk that extra mile to or for Christ.  Authentic school has personal liberty-each person chooses to hear the message and respond.  What can be expected from those at School of Leaders?  a reflection of the community, a capacity to be surprised and to hear new again the seemingly ordinary, to see through the lens of imagination, (Pay attention, Be astounded, Tell about it!). School is like diamonds, we are all at different levels of roughness and luster, we polish each other and we allow God's light to shine through-to reflect a life of grace.  We all called not to be volunteers but surrendered Christians. 
  • We are called not to do Christian things but to be Christian.  Mind-Heart-Will......Think-Feel-Act......Piety-Study-Action.
  • Many different people, changed to have one common denominator-LOVE OF CHRIST-LOVE OF COMMUNITY.  Palanca-prayer and sacrifice wrapped in love.   
  • Throughout the weekend-sharing with brothers and sisters from all around the country.  Prayer, song, worship, laughter.  Lots of ideas. 
Returned Ramon and Marie to Jersey.  We brought back a new brother and sister in Christ, two more links in that wonderful chain of people who make up this movement, who lift us and serve with us.  They returned to San Diego on Monday but we know we will keep in touch. 

We'd love to share what we experienced at the encounter, please feel free to contact Rick, Al or I.  And in the coming weeks you'll hear more at School of Leaders and when we gather.  In the meantime, all this and more can be found in the book "The Charism of the Movement".  Let me know if you'd like a copy.  There are other books on the National website as well that help us to understand the movement so well-why not take a look.  The monthly newsletter from National is also there with wonderful insights, why not take advantage of these wonderful resources. The link to the National Website is http://www.cursillo.org/.

I learned when I went to the Encounter in San Antonio that when Cursillistas greet each other with DeColores! they are actually answering a question-in Spanish Como esta?  How are you?  The answer, an enthusiastic DeColores!  full of God's grace, full of His colors.

For some wonderful pictures from the encounter, go to the National Cursillo website, on the home page look for National Encounter and click on slideshow...enjoy!

DeColores!

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