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Newsletter
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October 2011 Newsletter |
Contents
November 12th Ultreya!
November 12th Ultreya!
Join Us for Morning Offering and Blessed Sacrament Visits.
Join fellow Cursillistas as we renew our 4th Day Journey with Morning Prayer and Meditation in the tradition of the Cursillo weekend before or after Ultrea. It may be a small gathering each month, but Christ reminds us “where two or more are gathered in My name, there I will be.”
To Join us for Morning Offering and Blessed Sacrament Before Ultreya Bring your Pilgrim’s Guide and enter Divine Redeemer Church at 8:30 a.m. through the community room doors in the basement on the South end of the Church (next to the parking lot). We will gather for morning offering in the Church Sanctuary near the tabernacle.
If you’d like to Enjoy a Blessed Sacrament After Ultreya, we will gather in the Sanctuary near the tabernacle at 10:15 a.m.
WHO? All are welcome… Ultrea is the 2nd Saturday each month at Divine Redeemer. Come for a moment of prayer or – if you can - combine your prayer time with Ultrea. We’d love to see you there!
Prayer for Renewal
Glory to you, O Lord our God.
Your love calls us to be your people. By sharing our many and diverse gifts we share in your mission.
We ask you, Lord, to shape us into a community of faith.
Nourish us by your word and sacraments that we may grow into the image of Jesus.
Through the power of your Holy Spirit, heal us that we, in turn, may heal the wounded.
Form us to be instruments of love, justice, and peace in our land, and send us to proclaim your saving work.
RENEW us, Lord, that we may renew the face of the earth.
Amen
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12What a joy to report that the first month as Lay Director has been a true blessing! Our October theme, “Renew!” began with the women’s weekend Closura. It was a jubilant welcoming celebration for eight new Cursillistas who have begun their Fourth Day as re-invigorated Catholic Christians.
The following weekend’s Ultreya Celebration was phenomenal! I can still feel the enthusiasm that vibrated through the warm, strong voices as more than 30 Cursillistas rejoiced through our prayers, sharing, and song on that cold and snowy morning. The opportunity to begin and end each Ultrea with individual visits to the Blessed Sacrament has deepened the opportunity for renewal.
Deep in the soul of our soul dwells the living presence of the Holy Spirit who yearns to be made known through His love - which we are blessed to carry to the world. October’s Ultreya (led by Pat Burge our new 4th Day Coordinator) truly sent the Cursillo Community forth with the love, and hope, joy, and power, of the Holy Spirit’s infinite love!
Just two days later our Secretariat was blessed with additional renewal. I am so thankful for the service of Keith & Kathy Woodring, Ruth Snyder, and Cindi Roumell for their many years of dedicated service to the Cursillo Community. They have truly been good and faithful servants to our movement. I pray that they experience renewal while at the same time the Secretariat is being “made new” with Cursillistas who are stepping forward to serve.
As of this month we welcome: Mary Blair as Secretary, Denise Super-Braith as Pre-Cursillo Coordinator (with the assistance of Debbie Kunkel),and Karen Rochford as 3-Day Coordinator. As a community we are blessed that members of our community have chosen to serve the Lord through the Secretariat.
Thank you to everyone who has offered prayers for Colorado Springs Cursillo. Our prayers are being answered through God’s gift of renewal! “Renew my life with your goodness. Lord, give me your unfailing love, the salvation that you promised me. Then I can answer those who taunt me, for I trust in your word.” Psalm 119: 40-42.
Note: November’s Theme is Fire of Love!
Your sister in Christ,
Holly Coco, Lay Director
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We would like to welcome the ladies from Cursillo #59:
• Bridge Gallegos sponsored by Pat Romero
• Fran Ridings sponsored by Denise McClure
• Sidney Rodriguez sponsored by Lorraine Huard
• Sharon Douglas sponsored by Sharon Quintana
• Debbie Loos sponsored by Ann Weida
• Agnes Olson sponsored by Jim and Encarnita Olson
• Linda Dooley and Kristin Wood, sponsored by Carmela Mongragon
AFTER THE CURSILLO WEEKEND
The Cursillo Movement realizes that the essential mission of the Church is to evangelize and that each baptized person has a mission to fulfill. Because his or her place in the world as a layperson, he/she is called to personify Christ in all environments where his or her daily life takes place. Therefore, the Cursill Movement has two very important tools to assist each person. These tools are the Group Reunion and the Ultreya.GROUP REUNION
The Group Reunion is a small group of Cursillo friends that meet on a regular basis. The purpose of this meeting is to share with one another the growth that has taken place in each person. The persons share their spiritual growth as well as their growth in becoming a person who strives to bring a Christ-like attitude to their environments. This meeting is referred to as Friendship Group Reunion. As we attempt to bring Christ into our various environments, we will sometimes become frustrated. The Group Reunion provided the continual support needed in order to persevere after the Cursillo in doing God's will.ULTREYA The Ultreya , Spanish word meaning "onward", is the larger Cursillo community. It is the time for the members of the Group Reunions to meet with members of other Group Reunions. The Ultreya is also beneficial in providing the support and encouragement that each person needs.
The next Ultreya is November 12th at Divine Redeemer.
The building will be opened at 8:30 am, for those who wish to start their day with a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
Starting at 8:45 we will have coffee ready so we will be able to start our Ultreya at 9:00. We will be ending at 10:15 so those who would like to end with a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.
PERSEVERANCE--- "He that shall persevere unto, the end, he shall be saved" Matt. 10:22
Your sister in Christ,
Pat Burge, 4th Day Coordinator
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What does it mean to renew? Is it a process of taking something old and making it as it had originally been, or is it taking something that exists and giving it new vitality?
With automobile restoration there are some who will renew out of nostalgia – possibly taking a 100 year old Model T and renewing it as it was once built, so now you have an automobile that was once revolutionary but which is now great for car shows but not every day commuting. There are others who take every bit of modern technology and put it onto an old chassis, causing something old to run “like new”.
At the Clausura of the Women’s Cursillo in October, we saw the luster of faith. It shone in every woman who had just made the weekend and in every woman who was on the team – that was renewal!
How does that fit into our faith lives? Do we do all we can today to reinvent a better past or are we continually working on keeping our faith and life vibrant, living sacred moments each new day in our lives?
To achieve renewal in anything means that extraordinary efforts are needed. To renew a finish on a car, you need to rub off the old oxidation and then polish it with a new coat of wax. How has our faith life oxidized? Have you ever wondered how to restore the luster?
At the Clausura of the Women’s Cursillo in October, we saw the luster of faith. It shone in every woman who had just made the weekend and in every woman who was on the team – that was renewal! It took prayer, sacrifice, commitment, service, and love.
Prayer is the first tool of choice for renewal – any project needs the best consultant available and who better than Jesus to guide us through this change process. He even provides us with a unique instruction manual – so incredible that it can be used successfully in any situation we can encounter.
Sacrifice is one of the tools that changes form but always benefits – Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, God sacrificed His son, and so we have to ask ourselves “What are we willing to sacrifice” to be renewed.
Service is a great gift we give to others but that gives back to us – serving others is living the legacy of Jesus, renewing faith by creating relationships without expectations of payment or reciprocity.
Love is both an ingredient of and a product of renewal. Without love, taking on the challenge of renewal becomes too heavy a burden – involving too much to be worth the outcome, unless there is love. In 1 Corinthians love is wonderfully described:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”
During our efforts at renewal we need to reflect on this definition of Love to be mindful of what should be our true motivation.
Jim Olsen, School of Leaders Coordinator
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Our next Secretariat meeting will be Monday, November 14 @ 7PM.
Secretariat Meetings are held in the Community Center at Divine Redeemer Church the second Monday of every month. All Cursillistas are invited and welcomed!
Ultreya: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM.
Every 2nd Saturday of the month @ Divine Redeemer Chruch
We have both English and Spanish
It's a great time come and reunite with old friends