The Deacon’s Beacon
January 2010
Many of us were spiritually and emotionally elated after attending our 19th National Cursillo Encounter in San Bernardino, and our exuberant Fourth World Ultreya held in our own diocese. I personally felt greatly enlightened in our Cursillo movement and filled with gratitude to the Holy Spirit with His wonderful gift of our Cursillo Movement to the Church through Eduardo Bonnin’s foundational charism. Here in Orange we are blessed to have record number of people wanting to live a Cursillo weekend. We have filled up the January English Cursillo weekends earlier than ever before and are close to filling up the April weekend for women.
Even though we are excited about our journey thus far, there is still room for improvement. There is still a shortage of people who are eager to attend the School of Leaders and to serve on our Diocesan Secretariats. While our weekends are filled with candidates, the 3-Day Weekend is only one part of our job. We cannot focus solely on the Weekend and neglect Pre-Cursillo and Post-Cursillo activities. Cursillo literature states; “the Weekend is simply a means to get people from the Pre-Cursillo to the Post-Cursillo.” All of us are called to embrace our Fourth Day fully, but some are called to do the special work of the Cursillo Movement. If you feel so called, I invite you to School of Leaders held at St. Cecelia’s the second Saturday of every month.
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
November 2009
It’s is important for us to realize that being a Cursillo leader is a vocation, a calling from God. I often hear people in our Movement say, “I have made Cursillo my primary apostolate”. When we say that, we need to understand that leadership in the Cursillo Movement is a vocation. It is a calling from God to serve the Church in a special way. It is a calling we need to take seriously. We need to realize that no one fulfills their calling overnight. A vocation develops and evolves as we examine our response to that call and our commitment to that call. Any call from the Lord should be reverenced and respected as such. It should not be the same response we might give to our hobbies or recreation; “when I want” or “when I have time”. Cursillo leaders who work within the Movement then should to see their service to our Cursillo community as a wonderful calling. Choosing to be a leader in Cursillo is an investment of our time, talents, and sometimes even our treasures, because God invites us to be faithful and trustworthy stewards.
To learn more about being a Cursillo leader, come any of our Saturdays when we have School of Leaders at St. Cecilia’s in Tustin.
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
October 2009
I would like to use this month’s article to thank all of our wonderful Cursillistas for their efforts in Evangelizing their Environments and sponsoring worthy candidates to Cursillo. When I took the position as Spiritual Director for the Orange Cursillo four years ago, I told our loving cursillo community that I had a vision of having such a vibrant movement in our Diocese that we would have a waiting list of people wishing to attend. In September, almost exactly four years after articulating this vision, we have achieved this goal. We now have a waiting list to attend Cursillo in the Diocese of Orange for both men and women. This is due to the work of the Holy Spirit in our community and the wonderful Cursillistas who have taken the responsibility of sponsoring seriously. As we continue to grow, let us also continue to pray for one another and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. With the protection of Mary the Mother of God, we will continue onward.
Ultreya !!!!!!!!!
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
September 2009
As we strive to live as good disciples of our Lord, we realize the importance of spiritual direction as an important toll of spiritual growth. We talk about the importance of having a spiritual director during the three-day weekend, but don’t often discuss it much during our fourth day. Therefore I thought I would share some points from an article I read on spiritual direction.
Spiritual direction guides us to submission to God and to His will so that we might live, love, and learn to be at the service of others. Spiritual direction is important because it helps us learn how to love God, others and, often most difficult, ourselves. It helps us define our roles in the service of the church and to live a fuller life in Christ. Spiritual direction encourages us, enlightens us, and helps us to make decisions. It helps us to identify our virtues, and strengthen or improve those we need. Spiritual direction guides us to wholeness, unity, and team collaboration. It is a very important component of our ongoing formation in Christ. In short, it is the mark of a true disciple.
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
August 2009
This has been an excellent month for me personally thus far. On July 30th I, along with 19 Secretariat members from the Diocese of Orange, joined with 650 other Cursillistas from around North America for the 19th National Cursillo Encounter. On August 1st we gathered with over 5000 Cursillistas from around the world for the IV World Ultreya. Then on August 2nd I left for a glorious week in Hawaii. God is good….!
Through all of this we have been greatly enlightened and our morale uplifted with gratitude to the Holy Spirit for his wonderful gift of our Cursillo Movement to the Church and in our Diocese. Even though we feel excited and optimistic about our Cursillo Movement, we need to stop and evaluate our Fourth Day journey. There is always a need for encouragement as well as room for improvement. We should be honest enough to admit that there is a shortage of knowledgeable and committed leaders who are eager to join the School of Leaders. Thirty to forty people is not enough. Also unless the majority of our Cursillistas are grouping and attending Ultreya, we have not achieved what the movement requires. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the awesome responsibility of being a Cursillo Sponsor. We need to confidently face these challenges and prayerfully work to continually improve. Let us continue to live loved.
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
June 2009
As summer approaches and we look for some relaxation time we try to find ways take time away from the rigors of job to be refreshed. While this is a very good thing to do, it is important that we also realize that we need to take time away from our busyness every day of the year as well. That is why I want to spend o few words on the importance of having a daily routine of prayer. At a recent retreat for the members of your English Secretariat, Sr. Breda Christopher had us focus on the important of prayer. She said “Prayer is the oxygen in the life in the Spirit.” “Silence is God’s first Language.” I wrote these down and have been meditating on them this month. I thought it would be good to share with you some other quotations on prayer for your meditation
“Christian Prayers is love. It is best understood in terms of love. Everything else we may say about prayer revolves around the fact that prayer is love” Fr. Edward Carter.
“The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service.” Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
“The true source of prayer is not an emotion but an insight. As long as we refuse to take notice of what is beyond our sight, beyond our reason, as long as we are blind to the mystery of being, the way to prayer is closed to us." Abraham Heschel.
“After I enter the chapel, I place myself in the presence of God. I begin to tell him of all that concerns me, my joys, my thought, my distress, and finally, I listen to him.“ St. Catherine Laboure
“Talk to your Father, He is worried too!” Anonymous
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
May 2009
May is a very special month in many ways. School is coming to a close. Many of our young people will receive their First Communion and many more will be Confirmed. We celebrate Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ in our prayers and usually have a May crowning to honor her during this month..
This May is also very special to the Cursillo of Orange. In the month of May we will celebrate four Cursillos. The English Women’s Cursillo on May 1st followed by two Vietnamese Cursillos and the Men’s Cursillo in Spanish ending on May 31st. Not only is this a busy month, but the Vietnamese Women’s Cursillo will be the 500th Cursillo lived in the Diocese of Orange. The first Cursillo in our Diocese way also held in May from May 26th to 29th, 1977. This was followed by the first Spanish Cursillo in June of 1977. Since then over 17,500 people have lived a Cursillo with over 8600 of them in English. As we celebrate the 500th Cursillo, let us continue to ask the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary to guide our movement and keep us excited about our Catholic faith.
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
April 2009
On behalf of our Secretariat and School of Leaders from the Diocese of Orange Cursillo, I extend our best wishes for abundant blessing of God’s grace and a blessed Holy Week and Easter Season.
As we enter this Holy Time, we should take a moment to ask ourselves: “What is God calling me to do?” Our founder Eduardo Bonnin responded effectively to this question when he claimed: “You cannot be more than a Christian, but you can be a better Christian”. This reminded me of a story I would like to share with.
Once upon a time there was a wise old man who daily positioned himself by the river and passed out drinks of river water to those who were thirsty. One day someone asked him what would happen when he was gone. The old man responded: “I hope they notice the river”.
What is God calling me to do? As Cursillistas, we who have tasted the river must help others notice it so that they can drink from it as well.
Happy Easter
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
January 2009
It is appropriate for us as Cursillistas to reflect on the life of our Patron St. Paul, as our Catholic Church has been celebrating his Jubilee Year. As Cursillistas we should also study his evangelizing style because St. Paul was very true to what he preached. It is often said that our world today thirsts for authenticity, especially in regard to our youth and young adults. They have a horror of the artificial or false and it can be said that they are searching above all for truth and honesty. These “signs of our times” should find us vigilant. As Cursillistas we are being challenged: Do you really believe what you are proclaiming. Do you live what you believe? Do you really preach what you live?
Let us then imitate St. Paul. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we will recognize Him. If we listen, we can hear Him in the quiet of our hearts, speaking words of love and affirmation. If we look, we will see Him in our family and friends, in our groupies, in our brothers and sisters in Christ, in the poor and needy around us. So let us take Him in our arms, and let Him call each one of us to His heart.
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
December 2008
One of my Dad’s favorite sayings when we were growing up back in the Midwest was; “no flowers, no birds, November”. In California that is not usually the case. As I write this however there is a definite chill in the air and the morning have been really foggy. The change of seasons issue in a change in the church calendar as well. We move from Ordinary Time to Advent, our season of preparation. For many this is a time of difficulty and stress. Many people are reeling from the loss of a loved one, from a foreclosure of their home, from devastating fires, from a loss of savings invested in the stock market. The hurt caused by these difficulties can cloud ones holiday preparation and even dim the desire to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
What can we do as Cursillistas? Obviously only God can heal deep wounds of the heart, but we can lend a hand. We can resolve not to be so busy that we don’t take time for those around us. We can be mindful of those who have experienced a loss this past year. We can be quiet, listen and pray for those around us in need. We can reflect on the words of the poet Ann Weems:
Some of us walk into Advent tethered to our unresolved yesterdays, the pain still stabbing, the hurt still throbbing.
It’s not that we don’t know better; it’s just that we can’t stand up anymore by ourselves.
On the way to Bethlehem, will you give us a hand?
Happy Advent !!
De Colores, Deacon Doug
December, 2008
The Deacon’s Beacon
November 2008
For all of you who voted yesterday, I say thank you. It was a historic election in many ways. We had some serious Propositions to consider the most significant being Prop. 4 & 8. It is so important that as God’s people we continue to pray for his guidance in the affairs of our nation. We were founded as “one nation under God” and we need to pray that we stay true to what our founding fathers envisioned.
As I reflect upon these things, I would also like to share some of the thoughts of the founding father of Cursillo, Eduardo Bonnin who just died this past year. He stated that Cursillo proposes, with the grace of God, to achieve for individuals an understanding, conviction & living experience all that is basic to living our Christianity. Now, what is it that is basic to living our Christianity? Precisely it is the love of God, the love of neighbor, and the love of the world.
He also said the Cursillo is designed to move people from where they are to where they ought to be. It might be compared to a beautiful new freeway which would enable us to reach our destiny without too much difficulty. Naturally, it would be foolish to expect this new freeway to always pass near our homes for our own convenience. Rather we need to seek it where it is located. It is in this quest that we move from belief to love. It is in this quest that we have to take a stand for what is right and choose life.
De Colores, Deacon Doug
November, 2008
The Deacon’s Beacon
August 2008
During the past quarter we have had 6 Cursillos, 2 in each of our 3 cultures. In May the Spanish Cursillo had 21 men and 39 women. Also in May the Vietnamese Cursillo was attended by 42 men and 52 women. In July we had 21 men and 33 women attend the Cursillo in English. In total over 200 people lived their Cursillo in these past months.
I mention this because it is important to remember that our beautiful Cursillo movement is experienced in many languages around the world and in three languages here in the Diocese of Orange. We need to be one community that continues to pray together and to socialize together as one Cursillo. We have this opportunity in September during our next multi-cultural Ultreya on Friday night, September 12th. It will be held at the beautiful Vietnamese Center in Santa Ana. Please make an effort to attend. Also plan to attend an Ultreya in your area, especially if you have not done so in the past year.
As human beings, we realize the need for a plan, a method, and a personal spiritual program. We need to set realistic goals to aim at. We need the input of other Catholic Christians to reassure us at our level and challenge us to rise higher. That is why the Cursillo methodology of Ultreya and Group Reunion is so very important. Therefore make a plan to attend the Ultreya on September 12th. If this is not possible, then attend an Ultreya in your area in the next few months. Christ is counting on you ……….!
De Colores, Deacon Doug
August, 2008
The Deacon’s Beacon
July 2008
This past weekend we celebrated our nation’s independence. Like many of you I spent the evening of July 4th watching a beautiful fireworks display. As I sat there, I couldn’t help but reflect upon how lucky we are in this country to enjoy all the freedoms that are ours. This great experiment called “Democracy” has blessed us greatly in this country. Many of our forefathers and foremothers came to this great land to have religious freedom. We are free to attend mass in the church of our choice, we are free to vote for whomever we feel is the best candidate, and we are free to attend Cursillo. Yet many people do not take advantage of some or all of these freedoms. That also is their choice. Often times we do not realize how lucky we are until what we have has been taken away from us. As we spend these summer months, let us all take the time to give thanks to our God for all of the freedoms we enjoy. Let us be mindful of those who do not have the freedoms we often take for granted. Let us pray to our merciful God to continue to bless and guide our church and our country. Let us pray for our Cursillo movement and offer Palanca for each other. St. Bernard of Clairvaux said; “…if we know how to use the weapon of prayer well, we shall come off conquerors at last, for prayer is more powerful than all the devils”.
De Colores, Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
June 2008
The recent visit of our Holy Father Benedict XVI to the United States was a special time of grace for all of us. He reminded us of the truth of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and of our responsibility as disciples to evangelize our environments. In his Homily, at the Mass at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, attended by our Lay Director Mike Blasi and his wife Sharon, he quoted John 14:6 where Jesus says that he is “the way, the truth, and the life”. “Christ is the way that leads to the father, the truth which gives meaning to human existence and the source of life which is eternal joy…”
We who have lived the Cursillos in Christianity totally understand what our Holy Father is saying. Plus we understand our challenge to bring others into that understanding as well. We do this by a simple formula; to make a friend, be a friend, and bring that friend to Jesus Christ. On June 28th, 2008, the Holy Father will inaugurate the celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of St. Paul, a special year focusing on evangelization. Let us here in the Diocese of Orange make it our special effort to evangelize our family and friends and to sponsor them to a Cursillo.
De Colores, Deacon Doug
June, 2008
The Deacon’s Beacon
May 2008
We have accomplished much in the nearly 3 years I have been involved as your Spiritual Director. We have increased attendance at Cursillo with 716 people living their Cursillo during this time period. We have increased attendance at our Post Cursillo Diocesan Ultreya from less than 100 on a Wednesday night at Marywood to over 350 people that attended our last Grand Ultreya Saturday at St. Timothy’s. We have held a Cursillo Information Sunday in 27 parishes with 3 more currently scheduled. We have increased attendance at School of Leaders to a consistent number of 40 people each month. We have increased the number of Parish Representatives to 47. We have a world class web site and are compiling an outstanding database to track the history of Cursillo in the Diocese of Orange.
Why do I mention these facts? Well it’s certainly not to blow my own horn. With Pentecost this Sunday I feel it is important to look back and reflect upon the movement of the Holy Spirit in our Cursillo Community. We have been blessed with many gifts. What better day than Pentecost to pause and consider how we as a Cursillo community, one in Spirit, can utilize these gifts to reach out to our brothers and sisters who are struggling. I was so heartened to see the outpouring of love and support for Marsha at the loss of our brother Deacon Gaston. We have others in need in our parishes and in our Cursillo family as well. We need to always be open to those the Spirit directs us to assist. Our combined resources as a community of love can make a significant difference.
Remember the message of Cursillo. “All of us together are better than any one of us alone.”
De Colores, Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
April 2008
I have read that in Jesus time a carpenter went out to the customer instead of having the customer come to him. Jesus being the son of a carpenter must have accompanied Joseph on many such occasions. At the job site, since it was dirty work, the customer would have a bowl of water and large towel for the carpenter to use to clean up before returning home. We are told that there was a Jewish custom by which the carpenter, when he completed the job to his satisfaction, would after washing up for the last time, fold the towel in half and then fold it in half again to signify that it is finished.
Let us then move forward to Easter morning. Can you imagine what Peter thought when he peered into the empty tomb. What did he see? He saw the cloth that had covered Jesus head lying by itself. Scripture says it was folded in half and then folded in half again. Since Peter knew Jesus to be the son of a carpenter, he must have know that Jesus was saying; “it is finished”.
Jesus came to do the work of his father. It is finished. He completed the job to his father’s satisfaction. Now it is up to us. Are we ready to accept our Baptismal call to let others know the “good news” of Jesus Christ?
De Colores, Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
March 2008
As we prepare to enter into the most sacred time of our church year in the Triduum, I want to share with you some thoughts based upon Luke 25:34.
In crucifixion, a man hung only a few feet off the ground. Bored soldiers stood nearby waiting for his death. His loved ones, perhaps, also stood nearby weeping or offering each other consolation. Others might be there, such as victims of the criminal, to take satisfaction in watching his punishment. The crowd might be large for some or small for others. But surely from his vantage point above the crowd, the man on the cross would see everyone nearby.
What did Jesus see? He saw his mother, of course, whom he entrusted to John. He saw some women friends weeping. Se saw certain religious authorities who were determined to make sure of his death. But his heart saw much more. His heart saw the inner pain and burden each person bore. Jesus knew what could heal them and give them peace – God’s love, given freely. Yet from the cross, his heart also saw that most of them weren’t even aware that they needed to be rescued. So intent on living their lives apart from God’s love, they didn’t bother to look to God for help. They often rejected God just as they had rejected Jesus.
What anguish for him. And so his plea.
Forgive them father, for they know not what they are doing.
Forgive them Father, for they are lost.
Forgive them Father, for they cannot understand they need to be found.
Forgive them Father, for only you can bring them peace.
Forgive us Father, for we are not so different from those gathered around the cross.
May you enter into the sacredness of this holy season.
De Colores, Deacon Doug
March, 2008
The Deacon’s Beacon
January 2008
As we begin 2008, I want to reflect for a moment on this past year in Cursillo. It was an excellent year for our movement. Last year 251 men and women attended the Cursillo in English. The October Cursillo was the 25th largest in our 30 year history in the Diocese of Orange. It was only the second time in our history that more men than women (39 to 38) attended a pair of weekends. We held a Cursillo Information Sunday after the masses in 21 parishes last year. Plus we have had record numbers of people wanting to work on a Cursillo weekend. Our Post Cursillo Ultreya was moved from Marywood to various parishes in the diocese with record attendance. Attendance at School of Leaders is on the increase. Of course none of this would be possible without the dedication of so many people in Cursillo, starting with the members of the Secretariat.
On their behalf, I want to thanks all of my fellow Cursillistas for an outstanding year. I believe 2008 will be another great year for our movement as long as we continue to be a community of prayer and sacrifice. I thank God every day that I can be a part of something really special in Cursillo in the Diocese of Orange.
God Bless you all, De Colores, Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
Dec 2007
The Advent season is perhaps the most overlooked of all seasons. I suppose this is because it is followed by one of the most enjoyable seasons of the year in Christmas. As we celebrate Advent, we should try not to get too caught up in looking ahead to Christmas. I know that is hard to do with all of the shopping, decorating and cooking to be done. It is also very hard because everywhere we go we see signs of Christmas. The stores have been put up Christmas decorations ever since Halloween. While this is understandable, it diminishes for us a season of extreme importance in the church year.
Advent has a two-fold character. It is a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ’s first coming is celebrated. It is also a season when that remembrance directs our minds and hearts to await Christ’s second coming at the end of time. For many this is an extremely difficult time. For the poor in our community it is a stressful time when thought s are directed to worries about having enough money to survive, let alone buying gifts for their children. For others this season will be a very sad time as they recall their loved ones who did not return safely from Iraq, the Middle East, or other far away places of danger. It will be a time when that loss will be profoundly felt in the preparations that are at hand. Therefore let us use this season to adequately prepare our hearts to receive Jesus. Let us continue to be a people of hope. Let us try not to get caught up in the rush of materialism of this busy time. Rather let Advent reconnect us to the reality of Christ’s humble birth.
Christ has come among us. Christ is among us. Christ will come again in glory to be recognized only by those who are not too busy to keep watch.
God Bless you all, De Colores, Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
Aug 2007
This past Saturday we held our 6th annual Cursillo Dinner/Auction.
This event began as a result of the Diocese discontinuing their financial support for Cursillo. At that time it became necessary for us to raise funds to continue this Apostolate in the Diocese. I can report to you that this year’s event was a resounding success.
However, what I was especially pleased about was not the money we raised, but the spirit of the Lord that was present at this event. People were really enjoying themselves and meeting with fellow cursillistas. There was a real Cursillo spirit in the hall at Holy Family Cathedral. There was also a real spirit of Cursillo that day as Jeanne Rathswohl and her team transformed the hall into a “cruise ship”. There was a spirit of Cursillo in the kitchen with Jack and Marsha Ferraro as the “kitchen team” prepared that wonderful meal for all of us. It was a wonderful evening and Paula and Bill Lynn so beautifully put it together.
Finally my thanks to all who were able to attend.
You are the face of Christ to me in all you do.
De Colores,
Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
July 2007
When we receive a birthday present or some other gift, I would say that most of the time we treasure this gift. We at least treasure the love of the person who gave it to us. If it is something we really wanted, we also know how to use that gift properly. If it is something of value, we know how to safeguard it and protect it.
I believe that what is true of our earthly material gifts is also true of our spiritual gifts. All of us have been given gifts by our loving God. The gifts we receive from Him are not only very practical gifts, that we need to use each day, but are also gifts of great value. The gifts we receive from God thus are to be used not only for our own good, but also for building up the kingdom of God. The beauty of our church is that we possess so many wonderful people with very unique and talented gifts. I am an engineer by training and college degree. I choose this profession because I find that is true to my gifts and my strengths. I am very organized and like to organize and keep track of things in great detail using the computer. However if you asked me to draw something or create a new web site for example, I would be lost. I do not have artistic talents. However in our church and Cursillo we have people with awesome artistic talents. My wife Sheila has awesome artistic talents that I have often used when needed for a project. The beauty is my wife and I complement each other very well. Now multiply this by the thousands of people in Cursillo and you get an idea of the potential we possess as a community of faith.
Each of us is called by our God to be grateful stewards of the gifts we have received and to use them to build up His kingdom here on earth. We are fortunate because we have so many ministries in which we can use these gifts. Find an organization that best fits you and volunteer your time. Be involved in Cursillo by coming to School of Leaders. Without you we can do nothing.
God Bless you all,
De Colores, Deacon Doug
The Deacon’s Beacon
June 2007
This year we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Cursillo weekend held in the United States in Texas in 1957.
This month we are also celebrating the 30th. anniversary of the first Cursillo held in the Diocese of Orange, which was June 1977 at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Westminster, California.
As I reflect upon these two great events, I am compelled to think about the lives that have been changed because of this great movement and the impact it has had on our church.
My own weekend 33 years ago changed my life in a way that I could never have imagined. As a “cradle-catholic”, I thought I knew a lot about Jesus. What I discovered however was not that I knew about him, but that I truly knew him personally. Through his love I was transformed and continue to be transformed in ways know only to Him.
I pray that all Cursillistas will continue to be open to this transformation in their lives and continue to grow in God’s love and spirit. In this way our Cursillo here in Orange will continue to grow and be transformed into His image and likeness.
I can only imagine what the next 30 or 50 years will bring.
DeColores, Deacon Doug
