Now, why delay?

January 25, 2008

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Then he said, “The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.” Acts 22:14-16

He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

Piety

Cursillo Leaders' Prayer

Lord, grant that we may understand the necessity for depth in our movement, rather than surface glory. Convince us of the truth that colorful programs do not constitute success.

My God, give us a spirit of self sacrifice so that we may offer everything for your cause: our time, our abilities, our health and even our lives if necessary.

Instill in us courage in our initiatives, good judgment in our choice of the right means, and that determination which in spite of failures assures victory.

Move away from us the tiny rivalries, sensitivities, discourtesies, pride, everything which distracts from You, everything which divides or discourages.

Help us to maintain at a high level a meaningful supernatural and mutual charity among ourselves, so that each one will seek by preference the most humble tasks and will rejoice at the good performed by others so that all our spirits united in a common purpose will have one single sprit, Yours Jesus, and that this spirit may let us see Your attractive goodness marked in all our faces, Your warm accents in all our words, and in our lives something superior to the world, something that proclaims Your Living Presence among us. Amen.

St. Paul, Patron of Cursillo - Pray for us.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron of the Americas - Pray for us.

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/012508.shtml

Why did I ponder what to ponder on this, the 700^th posting to Your Daily Tripod? As we approach the second anniversary of this daily reflection on Piety-Study-Action from the daily readings of Scripture, the Holy Spirit hand-delivered a one-two punch today just like the Spirit has done to your team of authors since this effort started.

This 700^th posting just happens to fall on the feast of the conversion of St. Paul, patron of Cursillo. Each weekend seeks the conversion of the participants and our Fourth Day is our conversion story. Whether our role is as the willing instrument to help the Lord (“Here I am, Lord,” says Ananais) or as the Cursillista Saul of Tarsus getting knocked off his high horse on the way to Damascus, our Christian life is about conversion of ourselves and others to lives of love in action.

Mark 16 could be called the Fourth Day Reading (“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15) and become a part of the closing and commissioning for every weekend. We carry out this commandment through following Jesus and living the Cursillo “tripod” of piety (the love of God), study (the love of the Word) and action (the love of our sisters and brothers).

The readings also point out that we are not alone in our work. Jesus commissioned his disciples as a group. He also selected Saul. But Paul needed help – he needed a community to receive him – starting with one man – and assist him just like we need the members of our group reunion, Ultreya communities and others to strengthen us on our journey.

Action

Now, why delay?

What actions have we been meaning to undertake?

People in our neighborhoods need us. Whether it is those who are physically or emotionally or spiritually ill right in our parish, reach out through family life, religious education or social action programs.

People in our nation need us. Maybe they are unemployed or underemployed who need encouragement and confidence. Maybe they are individuals, families or children who need health insurance and hope that politicians stop squabbling over how to deliver it. Maybe they are strangers who need to be welcomed into a new land as productive and active citizens. Maybe they are people who now find themselves frail and elderly who have forgotten much of their lives yet still have healthy bodies and seek the companionship and love of those surrounding them.

People in our world need us. Angola. Haiti. Kenya. Sudan. Gaza. Somalia. Iraq. Rwanda. Afghanistan. According to www.globalsecurity.org, the new millennium began with much of the world consumed in armed conflict or cultivating an uncertain peace. Most of these are civil or "intrastate" wars, fueled as much by racial, ethnic, or religious animosities as by ideological fervor. Most victims are civilians, a feature that distinguishes modern conflicts. During World War I, civilians made up fewer than 5 percent of all casualties. Today, 75 percent or more of those killed or wounded in wars are non-combatants. That doesn't even take into account natural disasters, poverty, hunger and human needs in a world where 2 billion people live on less than $2 per day.

As Jesus asked us in today’s readings, “Now, why delay?” Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. As St. Francis advised, “Sometimes, use words.”