Daily Archives: April 1, 2018

School of Leaders

School of Leaders – March 2018

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The School  . . . of Fish?

In Cursillo, as in our Christian faith, to be a Leader means to be a true and authentic Follower.  To be a Follower means to be a true and natural Leader.  The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Our Lord Jesus became as a slave and washed his Disciples’ dirty, smelly feet.  He commanded them to do likewise.

When He began his public ministry, He promised those Disciples that they would become fishers of men.  He taught them in the Faith and offered them the Sacraments as visible signs of His ever-lasting presence and love.  They became the followers who, by sharing His love in those Sacraments, would lead their friends and family in their Movable Square Yards to become His followers.  Those followers then became leaders, who would lead their friends to Christ.  In an unbroken line of leaders and followers, Christ has been building His Kingdom one person at a time, the followers becoming leaders.

This makes perfect sense: the fish become the fishermen – – the followers become the leaders.  There is security in numbers, and the school of fish lives for the greater good of the others.  Sounds like the School of Leaders!

Our School of Leaders will meet on April 10, at 7 pm in the Parish Center of St. Joseph’s Parish in Freeburg, IL.  We meet on the second Tuesday of each month, May 8, June 12, and July 10, at locations to be announced in the 4th Day Prayer chain.  Our 4th Day gained 34 friends this year!  Please join the Leaders!

Romans 1: 12: “What I mean is that both you and I will be helped at the same time, you by my faith and I by yours.”

De Colores and Peace!

John I Schaberg

Lay Director

Lay Director – March 2018

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The Cursillo Weekends were held at Adorers of the Blood of Christ Motherhouse in Ruma, Illinois, on March 8-11 and March 15-18, 2018.  Garry Range, Margie Reaka and their Cursillo teams delivered two wonderful Cursillo Weekends for our newest members of the 4th Day Community.  Both the men’s and women’s Cursillo hosted the maximum number of candidates.  There were more applications from women than we had lodging; so, for the first time in recent memory, we have a short waiting list which gives us a potential head start on next year’s women candidates.

A major turnover in the Cursillo Secretariat has taken place over the past month.  We now have a full Secretariat in position to guide our Cursillo Movement over the next few years.  Thanks to all the outgoing members for doing a great job.

As many of you are aware, Nick Lang passed to the “5th Day” on January 7, 2018.  Nick was a long-time proponent of Cursillo who served in many different ministries at St. Peter’s Cathedral and in Cursillo, his primary apostolate.  In addition to many other positions in Cursillo, Nick was Lay Director for Cursillo twice; the second term ending only several months before he went in the hospital.

De Colores!

Bob Mc Cormack

Spiritual Director

Spiritual Director – March 2018

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Dear Brothers and Sisters of the 4th Day,

On this Easter Day, for just a moment, reflect on these words from the Gospel of Matthew.

“Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.”  (Matthew 28:8)

What devastating emotion the women must have felt upon hearing from the angel that Jesus was not in the tomb, where they had personally laid him to rest.  They most surely were afraid of what His missing body meant, while at the same time being overwhelmed by the possibility that what He had promised may have actually happened.  They are in a time between fear and joy, in a time between uncertainty and answers.

We experience these times also, don’t we?  When we get news too hard to handle on our own, when our doubt overtakes our faith, or when our frustrations get the better of our joy.

I suppose it is in the midst of these times, between fear and joy, when we must put our trust in God the most.  Because isn’t this where we come to know His immense love, where our faith grows stronger, and where our hope in Him is found?  For in that hope we rise from the tomb of anxiety and despair and all that gets in the way of our joy.

Our wonderful weekend themes this year help us to see the true joy which comes from “Trusting in Jesus” and “Letting God” take hold of those times in our lives when we struggle for answers or wonder what is coming next.

The Cursillo Journey is one of faith, enhanced by our piety, study, and action.  It is also an experience of resurrection, of sharing our own dying and rising in the real and concrete circumstances of daily living.  This is why we need one another, all of us, to help carry one another’s burdens and share in our joys.

“Then Jesus said to them, do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me” (Matthew 28:10)

So by the light of the Risen Christ, let us march onward, Ultreya, to our own Galilee, our own environments and beyond.  Then like those who first encountered the empty tomb, “Do not be afraid to run and announce what you have heard and seen.”

Blessed Eastertide to all, and De Colores!

Deacon Wayne