For The Father Himself Loves You

For The Father Himself Loves You

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter

A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus. He was an authority on the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord and, with ardent spirit, spoke and taught accurately about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately. Acts 18:24-26

“For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."  John 16:27-28

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.

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

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

Study

The goodbye continues. 

At least three times in his life, Jesus predicted his crucifixion (See Mark 8:31, 9:30, and 10:32).  However, the disciples didn’t comprehend the warning. Peter even tried to get Jesus to stop talking like that.  They could not understand what suffering Jesus predicted.  They, too, were puzzled when he told them, “The hours has come.”  But then they witnessed the arrest, trial, and execution.

Now in the final Passover, Jesus continues to prepare his friends for what comes next. He tells them he is going away but they will get over the short-term grief.  “So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” (John 16:22)

These goodbye messages come before the Passion. However, they equally apply to the days leading up to the Ascension.  When Jesus departs, he still promises to come again. We just have no idea of the timing. Until then, we would do well to follow the example of Paul and the message from his dream – as did the Jew named Apollos:

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision, "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city."  (Acts 18:9-10)

Action

Think of Apollos as you meditate on the Cursillo Leaders Prayer.  Also, consider that Apollos experienced a “talk day” critique.  Before every Cursillo weekend, the team gathers for the longest meeting in the formation period: Talk Day.  Every lay member of the team presents her or his talk. The other team members critique the talk and the presenter takes the feedback (good and constructive) to refine the talk before it is presented to the candidates on the weekend.

Maybe Eduardo Bonnín Aguiló (1917-2008) was thinking about Acts of the Apostles and the experience of Apollos when he laid out the plan for Cursillo.  The weekend experience plan and formation mirror the stages that the early Church experienced.  Talk Day is just one. In Acts, we also witness how the community cared for those in need just like the “angel” who channel the offerings from the community for Palanca, food, and moral and spiritual support to the team and candidates. Then our group reunion takes over that role.

Let us remember the people who supported our weekends in the past: lay directors (and their spouses), Weekend Committee members, the Cursillo Service Team, parishioners, and more.

As we enter the seventh and final week of Easter, our daily morsel from the Acts of the Apostles will soon be replaced by the “ordinary” first reading from the Hebrew Bible.  Although the Easter Season may come to a close, may the hope of the Resurrection and the Acts of the Apostles stay alive in your journey as servants and as recipients of the service performed by others.