“Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world” – Chris Rice
I hope this finds your loved ones and you safe and healthy. We all are navigating uncertain times and our globally connected world deluges us with data and information 24×7. Sometimes it’s hard to separate fact from fiction or find hope in a rapidly changing and dark situation.
We Cursillistas are God’s people. As God’s people, He asks us to engage others; God wired us to be with others. Our government asked us to socially distance ourselves, isolate ourselves, and reduce our proximity to each other, because it wants to give our health care providers a fighting chance to heal and save others. Many in our Community are in the high-risk demographic.
We Cursillistas don’t do well isolating ourselves – our 4th days, Ultreya, School of Leaders, team formations, Cursillo weekends, and serving others – are all about bring us and others together in the glory and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some in our Community deal better with isolation than others. It’s my belief, however, that the majority of our Community desire to be and remain connected. Our strength is connecting and engaging people. It’s built into our Movement.
Here is my desire: That each of you to actively reach out and engage 3-5 people in our Community – especially engage with someone who you may not have heard from or seen in a while. Find out if they doing okay and if they need help; offer to help or offer to find them help; simply have a discussion. Your phone call or email – your candle – may be just what someone needs to get out of their darkness
Here are some ideas:
- Reach out to your sponsor.
- Sponsors, reach out to your candidates. Regardless when they made their Cursillo, a simple message is all that is needed.
- Contact Cursillistas who made your weekend with you. If you forgot, send us an email as we may be able to help.
- 4th Days – (aka Group Reunions) – consider using one of the many video or phone conference products for your gatherings. Several teams have already used an online format with success. A list of free products can be found here on our website at www.sanjosecursillo.org/covid19. Invite others to join, regardless of your group’s past tradition; reach out.
- Past and Current Rectoras and Rectors – dust off your team and candidates lists. Call and email team and candidates (especially those whom you have not seen or heard from in awhile). Don’t fret that there may be overlap in reach out.
- Parish Reps. Reach out to Cursillistas in your Parish – email them, call them – if you need a list of Cursillistas in your parish, contact me directly.
- If you are called to reach out to Cursillistas in your parish, contact me and I will send you names, email, and phone numbers.
Please contact a Secretariat member or me with your other ideas to reach out.
St. Teresa reminds us that “Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours”. We may not be able to physically see or touch someone, but I ask that we use phones, email, and conversation to be Christ’s hands and feet.
Please read below about other opportunities to engage with our community – Streaming of Masses, Prayers at Home, Online Stations of the Cross.
In closing, please be safe. Our Lord will hear your prayers.
You each are in my daily prayers.
De Colores,
Larry Cargnoni |
