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What
do you think of Cursillo? My priest wants me to go through it and commit
to having group meetings in our parish. He will be one of the spiritual
directors. Several people in our diocese have asked me to be involved as
well.
 have heard of some persons who
have had good experiences with Cursillo groups, and I have heard of some
persons who have had very bad experiences with them.
So, rather than say anything
specific about any particular organization, apostolate, or lay association,
let me just provide a simple way to sort out truth from lies. That way you
can make your own decision about any group.
In general, groups that thrive
on popular enthusiasm are often just a lot of sugary sweet sentiment that
makes you feel good but that has little to do with the core basis of
Christianity: “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me”
into a life of self-sacrifice and suffering for the
salvation of others.
So, if you say you love
Christ, and if you want to follow Him, and if you are willing
to do anything it takes to fulfill your desire,
then pay attention to several things.
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Cling reverently
to four fundamentals of Christianity: the
Eucharist, the Passion, repentance of sins, and a holy lifestyle. Any
teaching that neglects these fundamentals should be shunned. Be wary, too,
of any bishop or priest who advocates any teaching that neglects these
fundamentals.
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Avoid any group
that spreads through peer pressure. In its proper place, peer pressure
does have a value because it can help you avoid certain behaviors.
For example, in regard to overcoming addictions, peer pressure can be helpful
in supporting you to avoid the use of alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and unchaste
sexual behaviors.
But peer pressure
cannot make you acquire virtue. Virtue is an expression of love, and
love is an act of free will, and so, if you are pressured into doing something,
especially if the pressure causes you to violate your personal
boundaries,
it is not an act of love.
Keep in mind, therefore,
that genuine Christianity is a matter of pure love which spreads through
a quiet, humble demonstration of
self-sacrifice despite
tribulations and persecution. Consequently,
if you do anything to gain the acceptance of others, or to keep them from
rejecting you, it’s a defilement of love, and,
in the spiritual sense, it’s all a
fraud.
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Take care not
to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise,
you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. |
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—Matthew
6:1 |
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Assess the value
of any teaching according to its fruits: the
fruits of the Holy Spirit. If these
fruits are not being clearly manifested in a group or association, just focus
on living the Faith quietly and privately. |
Summary
Given the choice between feeling
good or suffering hardship and sacrifice, many persons today will choose
the former. Even those who call themselves Christian want enjoyment and
excitement from life so much that they will even go so far as to purge
the Church of any reminders of the Crucifixion so as to revel in the glory
of the Resurrection. They will sit or stand rather than kneel; they will
hold hands and make themselves, rather than
God, the focus of prayer; and they will babble
rather than revere the divine mystery in loving, prayerful
contemplation.
But Saint John of the Cross warned
us:
He who seeks
not the cross of Christ
seeks not the glory of Christ. |
—St. John of
the Cross,
The Sayings of Light and Love, no. 102 |
So listen to his warning—at
least, if your desire to follow Christ is not just another way to feel good
about yourself, and if you sincerely struggle to carry your cross rather
than merely wear it around your neck as a pretty piece of jewelry.
No
advertising—no sponsor—just the simple truth . . .
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