From Terry Kostel:
Leaders in Christianity
I imagine the best place to begin would be by asking ourselves, “Who is a Leader in Cursillo”? You might say that all those who are members of the Secretariat are the Cursillo Leaders. Or maybe you might say all those who attend the School of Leaders are Cursillo Leaders. You would not be wrong in either case, but you would not be completely correct, either.
What if I made a slight change to the phrase, “Make a friend, be a friend, and bring that friend to Christ”? What if, instead, I said, “Make a friend, be a friend, and lead that friend to Christ”? Would you then recognize that all Cursillistas are Cursillo Leaders? We are called to lead others to Christ.
James 1:22-25 simplifies it for us, “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, ongoing away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget, but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.”
We need to recognize that we are all on a spiritual journey, a journey that we travel together with the Holy Spirit as our guide in our effort to follow Christ. If our knowledge of Cursillo and being Christian is nothing more than what we hear on the Cursillo weekend without it becoming a part of our lives, then our effectiveness during this journey, as well as the distance we travel, will not be close to our potential. If, however, our knowledge of Cursillo and being Christian truly becomes part of us in and through Jesus Christ daily, then our effectiveness increases and the distance we travel will be great.
Cursillo is a lifelong journey that begins with a “weekend.” For the men and women who have just completed your weekends, the 4th Day has begun. Some have referred to Cursillo as a retreat, however, a retreat is an experience that doesn’t grow. What was learned on the Cursillo weekend will help all who apply the principles to grow in courage to become all that God created us to be.
Our life’s purpose should be to live what is fundamental to being Christian. Our lives should embrace all three phases of the tripod – Piety, Study, and Action, keeping in mind always that this reflects our three relationships represented in the word “JOY”….. Jesus, Others, and Yourself.
Our mission in the world includes our dedication to Christ and our daily decision to share the Good News that God loves us. The best way to share this good news is through practicing friendship in our daily activities in whatever time and place we find ourselves. It is through friendship and love that we will demonstrate to others our life in Jesus Christ.
For the new Cursillistas, some time may be needed to settle into the new reality, but you should never forget that the rest of the 4th Day Community is available to provide help with how to “Make a friend, be a friend, and bring that friend to Christ.” This is our role as Cursillo leaders.
And for all of the 4th Day Community, as our journey continues we need to remember an important tool available that will help each of us travel along the path of making that friend, being that friend, and bringing that friend to Christ – the School of Leaders.
As “Leaders in Christianity,” we must ask ourselves the question, “Are we living the Christ-like example daily in sharing our faith in a loving way to help people to know God”?
A final thought, “Each day is a brand new opportunity to be Jesus to the world.” – R. Falcon (Better Tomorrows)