What an amazing day full of powerful healing, love and encouragement! About 230 of us gathered at Our Lady of Grace on October 31 at our 4th annual Fourth Day Encounter. Bill overheard Bishop Andrew Cozzens and Fr Kevin Finnegan commenting on how moving it was to hear such engaged participation at the morning mass. The volume and intentionality in the praying of the Our Father touched both of them that morning. In his homily to the 4th day and the parishioners of OLG, the bishop made a point to impress upon us the importance of an encounter with the living God. He witnessed firsthand the powerful effect of the Cursillo on the faith life of our community. 

Bishop Cozzens delivered the first talk on Accept-Listen-Love: Self—The message was very powerful for all of us and so we thought sharing some of his key points would be helpful to each of you. (He gave us permission to post a recording of his talk on our TC Cursillo website!) 

• Prayer transforms the way we see to a super natural view
  
• I desire to change, but I recognize that I am not changing—God wills that I continue to struggle with certain weaknesses and it becomes a grace when I realize that and don’t struggle with accepting it
  
• As Jesus approached the cross he seemed to get weaker & weaker—he couldn’t even move, he gives up his strength completely in death. Why does Jesus choose being viewed as a failure by man (dying on the cross) in order to triumph? 
  
• This must tell us how we are to come closer to Jesus—the moment of weakness & failure may be the way we grow closer to Christ
  
• When grain falls to ground & dies it leads to new life bearing fruit
  
• When we experience our own weakness we learn to trust God more 
  
• Sometimes we think we should carry our cross better than Jesus—He fell 3 times 
  
• Peter struggled to see the power of weakness when he tells Jesus, no Lord, that should never happen to you. The Lord allows Peter to fail & see his own weakness (betrayal of Jesus 3 times) before he enters leadership of the Church
  
• In suffering we need to turn toward God to be consoled & in turn we can console others 
  

Then Fr Kevin Finnegan shared his thoughts on Accept- Listen-Love: Others 

• It’s about relationship—love them where they’re at even when they appear to be far away (spend time together in activities to build the relationship of trust & friendship)
  
• Pray every day to be charged & filled with love for the people I encounter
  
• Patience—what role do I play for a person? Sowing, watering? Who knows how long it will take, but if you’re able to help someone get even 1⁄2 inch closer to Christ it’s worth the effortAttract with sweetness not sour—Sugar vs Vinegar (ie. No nagging) : )
  
• Attract with sweetness not sour—Sugar vs Vinegar (ie. No nagging) : )
  
• What distinguishes us? JOYFULNESS
  

• And on that note we would like to wish you all a joy filled
  advent! It’s been a blessing serving as TC Cursillo lay directors for the past two years. 

God bless you all,
Justine & Bill Bojan