At a men’s closing a few years ago in Delano, I was moved by a new 4th dayers revelation about the Sunday morning Cursillo mass. He explained that he was well traveled across much of Europe and had visited many Catholic Cathedrals and churches and was inspired by their design and beautiful sacred art, and yet here he was in a small classroom, with a few posters, a make shift altar and he was overwhelmed with the presence of Jesus in their midst.

I have thought much about his revelation. A revelation that perhaps many of us have experienced as well. Could we ever help strengthen that experience of the presence of Jesus for the majority of people in our parish Sunday masses? Imagine being sent, to glorify the Lord by your life from that experience every week. Now that would truly be an amazing parish.

As I prayed with this I was led to a Vatican 2 teaching about the four-fold presence of Christ at liturgy and found a commentary about that teaching on the Archdiocese of Santa Fe web site. http://www.archdiocesesantafe.org/Offices/Worship/GIRM/English/04TheFour-foldPresence.pdf.


The first part of that teaching states, “When the bishops met for the Second Vatican Council, one of the key principles they put forth regarding liturgy is that Christ is present in the liturgy in four unique ways.

Especially in the Eucharist broken and shared

In the person of the minister

In the Word of God

In the assembled people of God

(Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, CSL #7)

As we come together on Thursday evening of a Cursillo weekend, some of us on the team know each other a little bit, both from coming to team meetings and from working with each other on past weekends. Most of the candidates do not know many or anyone on the team.

Over the next three days we begin to know each other. We pray and sing, share meals and listen to many personal witnesses. We come to know the priest on a more personal level, we are filled with God’s word throughout the talks, meditations and mass and we receive Eucharist daily.

Could we help to recreate this in our parishes? Most of our parishes are pretty large and we do not know most of the parishioners very well. Most of our priests do not have the luxury of getting to know many of the parishioners as well. The bible studies and daily prayer aids have helped us spend more time with Sacred Scripture. Some parishes have daily masses and many have homebound ministry who bring communion to those who are not able to come to mass.

Cursillo and the model it uses follows the Second Vatican Council’s wisdom about the four-fold presence of Christ at mass. It is a relational model and has much to offer parishes. We know that we can’t recreate the intimacy and fellowship of a Cursillo weekend. However, we can share the grace of those encounters with Jesus by:

* Supporting and helping to lead the formation of small groups and other ways of getting to know each other a little better within our parishes.

* Being models and advocates in preparing for Sunday mass by attending additional masses weekly, reading and studying the Sunday scriptures ahead of time, and helping to promote adoration times and the sacrament of reconciliation.

* Finding ways and inviting others to get to know our priests and other spiritual leaders in our parish a little better.

A personal relationship with Jesus often begins by sharing our personal relationship with him and each other.

Christ is counting on Us!

Deacon Tim