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The Newsletter of the Arlington Diocese CursilloFebruary 2013
Message from the Lay Director.
I have been meditating on Matthew 9:35-38 recently. It seems appropriate as Lent nears.
The Workers Are Few35 “Jesus continued His tour of all the towns and villages. He taught in their synagogues, he proclaimed the good news of God’s rein, and he cured every sickness and disease. 36 At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity. They were lying prostate from exhaus-tion, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples: “The harvest is good but the laborers are scarce. 38 Beg the harvest master to send out laborers to gather the harvest.”
One thing that struck me was that Jesus took the initiative. He didn’t expect people to come to Him; He went to them. In years gone by, it was common to invite people to church and see them respond to Christ. But today, fewer people find church appeal-ing. We must go to them. It’s our time to capitalize for Christ! Cursillo provides the perfect method: Make a friend, be a friend and bring that friend to Christ.
Jesus has promised us that there’s a plentiful harvest. The fruit is ripe for the taking. The only problem is: “the laborers are scarce” (9:37). Work is hard and many people don’t like to work. This leads to a shortage of laborers. Yet, God is looking for some “laborers” who want to reap His harvest. Notice Jesus doesn’t call for priests, mis-sionaries, evangelists, leaders, or experts; he calls for “laborers.”
As I contemplate how I can best serve God during Lent, I believe the perfect oppor-tunity exists for me to focus on being a laborer for Jesus—to try to find people willing to listen and invite them to Cursillo. By reaching out in my faith at work, I have been heartened to find so many people who yearn for something more in their lives.
We have two upcoming Cursillo weekends. Can we become the laborers of whom Jesus speaks to bring people (the harvest) to Christ? What better way than to invite them to these upcoming weekends so they may experience the joy of meeting Christ through the Holy Spirit in a more personal way?
As one Cursillista so wisely noted: “Little sparks of the Spirit keep us faithful as we long and wait for a Pentecost-type fire of the Spirit to inflame us personally and com-munally. Come Holy Spirit!”
In addition to bringing candidates to the weekends, we also need help on the kitchen crew and palanca for the team. Check out the website for ways to help.
De Colores! Phil Kiko, Lay Director
OUR
IWeekend Teams! ......................2
Useful Information......................2
Cursillo Life—So Far!.................3
Upcoming Events........................4
Lay Director Phil Kiko, [email protected]
Spiritual Director Fr. Tuck Grinnell, 703-527-5500 [email protected]
School of Leaders Jean & Tom Noon, 703-341-6644 [email protected]
Pre-CursilloPaula Shipe, [email protected]
Team Selection John & Toni Rausch, [email protected]
Weekend Susan Trainor, [email protected]
Fourth Day Carol Poplin, 703-243-7621 [email protected]
Treasurer Felicia Rogers, 703-527-4128 [email protected]
External Communications Peter Trahan, [email protected]
In This Issue . . .
Secretariat
OUR BANNER Publisher Jackie Garcia, [email protected]
Mel Rigney, [email protected]
E-mail your feedback or change of address for OUR BANNER to [email protected]
Women’s Cursillo Weekends Men’s Cursillo Weekends
136th, March 14–17, 2013, 126th, April 18–21, 2013 Missionhurst Missionhurst
137th, September 19–22, 2013 127th, October 17–20, 2013 San Damiano San Damiano
Plan Ahead...Cursillo Weekends in 2013
February 2013 Page 2
OUR
136th Women’s Closing
Will take place on March 17th at Our Lady of Good Council in Vienna.
Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/136th-womens-weekend for updates!
About This IssueWe hope you enjoyed this issue of Our Banner. If you subscribe by e-mail, you receive issues more than a week earlier than via U.S. mail. We’d really appreciate it if you would send your current e-mail address to Lyn McGee [email protected]. Please let other Cursillistas who might not have received this issue to send Lyn their e-mail address as well. The newsletter also is available at www.arlingtoncursillo.org, which is always your best source for up-to-date information about our dynamic community.
Bulletin AnnouncementsI have been asked for some suggested language for bul-letin announcements for upcoming Cursillo weekends. Below is one that was used in Fredericksburg:
How often do you think about your personal relationship with God? Can you describe it or define it? Do you talk about your relationship with God to your children?
COME TO CURSILLO AND BECOMEMORE AWARE OF YOURSELF AND GOD.
ASK...WHO ARE YOU JESUS? AND WHO AM I?
Woman’s Weekend—March 14–17Men’s Weekend—April 18–21
COME AND SEEContact: [fill in as appropriate for your parish]www.arlingtoncursillo.org
Useful Links:
Sparkplugs: Looking to reconnect with Cursillo in a parish in your area? Want to find out more about this lay Catholic movement? Contact the “spark plug” at a parish near you. Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/grow/sparkplug for more information.
Prayer requests: Submit prayer requests and read other prayer requests from members of the cursillo. Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/category/prayer-requests
Applications and Sponsorship Guidelines: Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/secretariat/precursillo-2.
Submit your events: Want to share information about an upcoming event? Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/event-submission and we’ll post it on our website.
The Team of the Women’s 136th
The Team of the Men’s 126th
From left to right (front row): Freddie Wall, Anne Biedscheid; second row: Monica McBrady (with blue scarf), Laura Lyon, Mary Lou Miller, Emelda August, Marylee Nicholas; third row: Peggy Fargo (in red), Mary Ann Rozum, Sue Jones, Mary Fitch. Not Pictured: Fr. Matthew DeForest
Please pray for our team and candidates…and consider talking with your family and friends about saying “yes” to making the Weekend. You can get an application at www.arlingtoncursillo.org/secre-tariat/precursillo-2/#application or contact Paula Shipe at 703-455-5401 or [email protected].
Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org for updates, directions, and more!
From left to right (front row): Peter Roth, John Durkin, Rob Doerschner; (standing) Jeff Wolfhope, Evan Godwin, Greg Glaros, Dan Straub, Bob Ferguson, Bob Wear, Tony DeChristofaro. Not Pictured: Fr. Paul Berghout, Rick Gammache.
arlington cursillo
February 2013 Page 3
Cursillo—Life So Far! Frank McLeskey
Arlington Cursillo Needs Your Prayers and Financial Support Consider making a contribution of:
❑ $100 ❑ $75 ❑ $50 ❑ $25 ❑ Other ______________
_______________________________________________ Your Name _______________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________ City _______________________________________________ State Zip Code _______________________________________________ E-mail
Thank you and God Bless You
Return this form with a check made payable to Arlington Cursillo. Mail to: Arlington Cursillo 1604 Suter St., Alexandria, VA 22314, or visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/donate.
My daughter-in-law Mary began a blog a number of years ago and titled it “McLeskeys—Life So Far.” I want to use that term to describe my “Cursillo—Life So Far.”
My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11:
“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for good and not for harm, plans to give you hope and a future…”
In 1986, I had no favorite scripture, no Bible and no involve-ment with Catholicism, my religion of birth. But to the world, I looked like a model Catholic. One day as I was driving to work in December 1985, I was led to listen to the Gospel on Chris-tian radio. As I listened, I was drawn in. This God whom I did not know started making sense to me. He was calling me into relationship with Him. If I only said “yes” I could receive his gift of grace and redeeming love. I accepted that gift and began to be transformed in dramatic, instantaneous ways (my lifelong habit of profanity disappeared) and in progressive ways (I had a growing desire to serve others). My life “so far” had been completely different from my life after this conversion.
Three years later I was invited to make a Cursillo which I accepted without hesitation. At Missionhurst, I recognized the joy of living in Christian community. I joined my sponsor’s group reunion which I have attended faithfully since 1981. Group reunion and the Cursillo community have given me the “horizontal” relationships to go with the personal “vertical”
relationship with Jesus. Both are essential. There have been many, many joys and gifts shared and enjoyed over the years. The Cursillo method—piety, study, action—is locked into my psyche as a reminder of how life should be guided and lived. And I thank God for those in this community who take them seriously and live them faithfully.
That is my “Cursillo—Life So Far.” Cursillo life resembles the early Christian community of believers—living simply but impor-tantly to get the word out about this Jesus who is the Life and Light and Savior of the world.
Now in 2013, I am blessed to be facilitating the “spark plug” program for Arlington Cursillo. Cursillistas have volunteered to be the face of Cursillo in their parish. I am sure Paul and Barnabas shared with their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem how things were going with their evangelization of the Gentiles. We can do the same—we have gifts to share! If you have not yet offered to help with the “spark plug” program in your parish, please do so! A list of the “spark plugs” in your parish is on the website.
So these are some highlights of my “Cursillo—Life So Far!” I can testify that it is far above anything I had experienced previously in my life.
De Colores, Frank McLeskey
“So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might
become the righteousness of God in him. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says:
“In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
— 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2
NON PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT #103
MERRIFIELD, VA
Arlington Diocese Cursillo CommunityOUR BANNER3908 Malcolm Ct.Annandale, 22003
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Please Deliver by February 28, 2013
Upcoming Events (Check our website for site location and directions.)
Regional UltreyaJanuary 26, 2013 6:45pmManassas, VA 20110
St. Raymond of Penafort UltreyaMarch 15, 2013 7:30pmSpringfield, VA 22153
St. Raymond of Penafort Ultreya February 15, 2013 7:30pmSpringfield, VA 22153
126th Arlington Men’s Cursillo Weekend April 18, 2013 7:00pmArlington, VA 22207
School of Leaders, Northern VAFebruary 16, 2013 9:30amManassas, VA
St. Raymond of Penafort UltreyaApril 19, 2013 7:30pmSpringfield, VA 22153
St. Charles UltreyaMarch 2, 2013 6:30pmArlington, VA
St. Charles UltreyaApril 27, 2013 6:30pmArlington, VA
SAVE THE DATE—Lenten Evening of ReflectionVisit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/upcoming-events for details.
Table Reunion and Orientation for New Cursillistas’ sponsored by School of LeadersMay 4, 2013 9:30amLocation not available— for more details as available go to www.arlingtoncursillo.org/upcoming-events.
136th Arlington Women’s Cursillo WeekendMarch 14, 2013 7:00pmArlington, VA 22207
SAVE THE DATE— Evening of Praise and WorshipMay 15, 2013 7:00pmLocation not available— for more details as available go to www.arlingtoncursillo.org/upcoming-events.
Have an event to submit? Visit www.arlingtoncursillo.org/event-submission on our website.
make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend....
